However, looking back, I didn't need to bring my own snorkeling gear. Last year, my husband and I decided to celebrate his birthday in Hawaii. We fell in love with Maui's natural beauty and endless beaches, and a few short months later, found ourselves returning to the state to spend time in Kona on the Big Island, where the laid-back atmosphere enchanted us.
Despite decades of jokes and occasional bad publicity, cruise vacations are more popular than ever - just ask the tens of millions of Americans who take one every year and together represent more than half of all annual cruise travelers. Today's ships are massive, complex affairs backed by giant corporations and celebrity commercial sponsorships, all commanding big money. And while to the uninitiated, a ship may just seem like any other ship, experienced cruisers increasingly understand that unique offerings make all the difference.
The Creole Nature Trail is a 180-mile scenic byway that cuts through Louisiana's Cajun Country, also known as Acadiana. The area, which is often called "Louisiana's Outback," is different from the Louisiana you thought you knew; instead of bayous, this part of the state is home to vast marshes, coastal prairies, waterways, and undeveloped Gulf beaches. And it's all accessible off of the Creole Nature Trail.
Indian Railways has restored the emergency quota for premium sleeper trains - Vande Bharat sleeper and Amrit Bharat. The purpose behind reintroducing the emergency quota is to serve those in urgent need of train tickets due to unexpected circumstances. Indian Railways continues to review and revise its policies to meet the evolving demands of travellers. In this guide, we have discussed all that you need to know about the emergency quota in Indian Railways for premium sleeper trains.
In the UK, there is a proud tradition of naming long-distance walking paths after talented reprobates. I mean the various opium fiends, international terrorists and child murderers who make up our colourful national tapestry (see the Coleridge Way, Drake's Trail and the Richard III Trail). So perhaps a 30-mile weekend walk dedicated to the Mortimers, and their most notorious scion, Sir Roger, is an appropriate addition to the weave.
If the name 'Manhattan' conjures images of tall skyscrapers, yellow cabs, and large crowds, you're probably thinking of New York City. Kansas has its own Manhattan, though despite sharing a name with NYC's famous borough, Manhattan in Kansas is utterly different to the Big Apple. This college town is home to the main campus of Kansas State University. Founded in 1855, Manhattan is in the Midwest, surrounded by the tallgrass prairie landscape that once dominated North America.
Whenever I'm asked about my favorite place to ski in the United States, I always have the same response: Deer Valley. The Park City, Utah, resort-neighbor to Park City Mountain-made it easy for me to fall back in love with skiing as an adult. Each winter, I look forward to planning a trip out to the Wasatch Mountains, eager to spend all day on its well-groomed pistes, have a low-key après moment at a slopeside five-star hotel, and get my fill of snow, sun, and shopping in downtown Park City. This year, I'm even more excited to get out on its trails-dozens of which I've never skied before.
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination.
Frailes Atelier takes its name from its position on one of Valladolid's main shopping streets, the pretty, cobblestoned Calzada de los Frailes. To call it a candle shop would be underselling it-it feels more like an art gallery, with candlesticks taking the form of long-stem roses and twisted architectural shapes, all crafted in the city from 100 percent beeswax. The space, set out around a central table like the dining room of a private home, is warm and informal.
Utter the words "magic kingdom" and, instead of Disneyland, some adults might conjure up an image of Japan. It's a country that has it all, from skiing and ryokans to shopping and seasonal changes so utterly sublime that people from all over the world plan their holidays around the flowering of a particular tree (the famous cherry blossom). It's not a trip where you'll be doing much lounging around;
Growing up in Norfolk, Horsey Beach is a staple for seal watching - its sandy dunes provide the perfect watching platform to observe the seals undisturbed, as the pups play and feed. Between November and February, the seals line the shores, and for the rest of the year, it is a beautiful spot for coastal walks. Afterwards, we would always stop by Poppylands tea room for a cake and a hot drink to warm up.
Because it's so immersive and theatrical, it's ideal for keeping kids entertained without requiring parents to plan every second of the day (which, frankly, already makes it feel like a win). This is not a cruise where you sit by the pool while your kids complain they are bored. It is a cruise where they disappear into kids' clubs, beg to stay up late for shows, and talk about the Hydra puppets and Cruella de Vil long after you are home.
While a growing number of luxury hotels and estates now offer bring-your-own-horse programs - with purpose-built stables, veterinary access, and experienced grooms - the golden rule remains unchanged: the horse's happiness, health, and safety must come first. Transport stress, unfamiliar terrain, changes in climate, and short stays can be unsettling for horses, which is why many professionals advise that bringing your own horse only makes sense for longer visits, familiar landscapes, or trips centered around competition or training.
First, travelers rediscover a place quietly drawn by affordability, authenticity, and manageable crowds. Then digital nomads arrive. Then social media catches on. Then airlines expand routes. And before long, what was once underrated becomes headline travel. As 2026 approaches, several European destinations are sitting right on that edge. They're still relatively affordable compared to Western Europe's heavyweights. They still feel grounded in local culture. But infrastructure is improving, international awareness is growing, and flight access is expanding.
Our small crew stayed in the Saadia riad, where rooms overlooked a courtyard lined with Moroccan zellige (tilework) and intricately carved arched balconies. The interiors were a labor of love by the family of Caid Azzi Boujemaa, a former palace worker who was gifted the Riad in the early 20th century as a thank you for his loyalty. In the early 2000s the property was restored by the La Sultana hotel group,
InterContinental Hotels Group, owner of Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Hotel Indigo, reported robust revenue and profit growth for 2025, driven by a record hotel rollout and strategic acquisitions. The group opened 443 new hotels over the past year - adding more than 65,000 rooms - and completed its acquisition of the European hotel brand Ruby. Financially, IHG posted total revenue of $5.19 billion (£3.8 billion), up 5% from 2024, while operating profits rose 15% to $1.2 billion (£880 million).
The daily life of ordinary people - in the city's parks and bookstores and at parties - takes centre stage in his slice-of-life cinema ( The Worst Person in the World and Oslo, August 31 were among his early indie hits) and leaves one swooning for a life there with all of the melancholy and joy that it might contain.
Nonstop service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport begins Oct. 3. The flight will operate on Saturdays and on a seasonal basis, according to Sonoma County officials. An announcement appeared on the county's Instagram account over the weekend. A quick search on Southwest's online site showed bookings available for its nonstop service beginning Oct. 3 with a three-and-a-half hour flight out of Sonoma County departing at 11:10 a.m. and arriving in Austin at 4:45 p.m.
An airport transfer is a transportation service where the driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your destination or vice versa. When you have jet lag, airport transfers ensure you bypass the arduous task of flagging down and riding in uncomfortable cabs. You can schedule a transfer to and from the airport before your flight, so that professional drivers will be there for you when you step off a plane.
Home to Grand Teton National Park, world-class ski slopes, and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a destination unlike any other. Victoria Gonzalez, lead Pathfinder at The Cloudveil, describes the region as "the intersection of wilderness and the resilient American spirit." In other words, it's somewhere travelers can go to experience a "flourishing cultural arts center with celebrated restaurants, a playground for year-round recreational opportunities ... and natural wonder."
My move to Phuket was about choosing a fabulous place to live while continuing my freelance career. I feel like I've been part of the island's community for years. I'd visit annually for a couple of weeks at a time, maintain friendships, and get to know local business owners. Every trip had me dreaming about potential jobs and interesting opportunities.
Many of the great wonders of the world, from iconic buildings to national parks, are preserved and open to the public, but some are tucked away on private land where only a few can enjoy them. One such wonder-a natural spring-fed lake just an hour north of New Orleans-opened to the public for the first time last summer, giving Louisianans and visitors access to a surreal, bright-blue lake lined with white sand beaches.
"Storing your bag behind you often means you'll be forced to wait for nearly every other passenger to deplane before you can reach it. That can turn what should be a swift exit into a slow, frustrating slog,"
It's hard to separate the impact and the legacy of the railroad from the United States itself. According to the Association of American Railroads, there are over 140,000 miles of track in the U.S.-the most extensive rail network of any country in the world. But there's one passenger train route that outshines the rest in both scope and beauty: the California Zephyr.
Nobody ever wants to be that person holding up the airport security line. All too often, though, a half-drunk water bottle we forgot about, an overstuffed bag, or a forgotten personal safety device on a keychain will get us pulled over (and sometimes, cause us an additional screening). This mistake not only holds up your travel plans, but also delays passengers behind you as TSA officers search through your carry-on.
Author Jules Verne briefly mentioned the tiny railroad town tucked into the Sierra Nevada foothills in his classic "Around the World in 80 Days." The plot takes protagonists Phileas Fogg, a wealthy and bored Londoner, and his French sidekick, Passepartout, on a whirlwind global journey at the height of the Industrial Age. "The train, on leaving Sacramento, and passing the junction, Roclin, Auburn, and Colfax, entered the range of the Sierra Nevada," Verne wrote in 1872 of the Transcontinental Railroad leg of the journey.
My wife and I are about to take our two kids to Disneyland ... and I'm absolutely terrified. Not because I don't want to go. My nearly 3-year-old carries his Mickey Mouse stuffie everywhere. He sleeps with it. Eats with it. When he sees Mickey in real life, he'll lose it. I can't wait for that. Here's the problem: I'm really worried about how much it's going to cost.
In central southwest China where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, is a city that feels like it's been ripped out of a game of Q*Bert meets Chutes and Ladders. One moment you're strolling along the ground-floor of a massive square, only to find that you're actually standing dozens of floors above another tier. This otherworldly metropolis is Chongqing. While it may not have the same name recognition as other Chinese cities such as Shanghai,
I think people don't always believe me when I say it, but living abroad has always felt more fun to me. I love the cultural challenges, the language barrier, the different food, and the process of figuring out the day-to-day. I'm originally from Conyers, a small town just outside Atlanta. In high school, I moved to Athens, Georgia. It was a typical small, suburban place - there weren't many people traveling internationally. Certainly, no one was moving abroad the way I eventually did.
Packing for a European getaway is no easy feat, especially if it's your first time abroad or you only travel a couple of times a year. It requires planning-the right luggage, versatile outfits, comfortable shoes, and smart accessories all have to be considered-and you'll want to try to pack as lightly as possible. Depending on how you've structured your trip, you may be hopping on and off public transportation or climbing seemingly endless stairs,
