Nations across the world are gradually welcoming travellers into its borders and many are seizing this opportunity to visit turquoise beaches and crystal clear waters for some much-needed reprieve. Blue is the most popular colour in the world, so it's no surprise that people flock to water-centric destinations to relax next to clear blue water, with a cold drink in hand and a gentle breeze lulling them to sleep! If you’re in the midst of figuring out your next travel destination, why not consider visiting these crystal clear ones? #1 THE MALDIVES The Maldives is a nation consisting of islands that are situated in the Indian Ocean. There are currently 1192 islands spanning a distance of 871 kilometres. The country's unique geography frequently enchants visitors with its colourful reefs, soft…

I’m looking out a train window as rice paddies, country houses and small towns flash by. The view is changing rapidly as we speed through the Hokuriku Shinetsu region on a shinkansen, one of Japan’s famous bullet trains. Shooting into a dark tunnel the train picks up a serious clip. Just as suddenly we burst out into the sunlight for a momentary vision of a tree-lined valley and a pond, or the silver flash of a river and a bridge before plunging back into another tunnel. Travel is a brilliant way to reset your mind as an adventure somewhere fresh floods your brain with daily images and inspiration. This is especially so with Japan’s unique mix of ancient and modern. Here are seven ways to reboot when travelling in Japan.…

Australian river cruise and touring company APT Travelmarvel launched three brand-new ships – Capella, Polaris and Vega – bringing in a contemporary vibe for fans of river cruising. Designed with picturesque European river views in mind, Travelmarvel Vega has an abundance of outside space and has been cleverly built so the sun deck is easy to reach no matter where you are on the ship. ESSENTIALS Identical in size and style to both of its sister ships, Vega sleeps just 182 passengers in 91 cabins, which range from Window Staterooms at 14.2sq m (with a small window) through to the spacious 24sq m Owner’s Suite cabins. The latter include a lovely lounge area and beds facing out to the water. EXPERIENCE Whether relaxing with a drink at the rooftop bar, watching the world go by…

MY SON FELIX and I slept with the windows open, so I was woken by birdsong. The sun was just coming over the mountain, the wooded hills were flooded with golden light, and the land was alive with insects and birds. While Felix continued to doze, I stepped onto the veranda, breathed in the scent of pine trees and herbs and flowers, and saluted the sun. We were staying at Oasyhotel, an eco-resort at the Oasi Dynamo nature reserve, in Italy’s Pistoia Mountains. We had driven from the Pisa airport, winding through Tuscan valleys where stucco farms and villages perched on the mountainsides. Grandmothers sunned themselves behind geraniums on wrought-iron balconies. We reached a stone gateway and parked our car. A driver then took us five miles up a winding track…

Repetti, un historiador y geógrafo toscano del siglo XIX, en el diccionario eográficofísico-histórico de la Toscana publicado entre el 1833 y el 1846, definía así al Chianti: “… donde se tocan los territorios de cinco antiguas diócesis: Arezzo al este, Siena al sur, Volterra al oeste (actualmente Colle Val d’Elsa), Florencia y Fiesole al norte …” ■ También las definiciones posteriores, desde un punto de vista geográfico, identifican la zona de Chianti con toda la zona de colinas entre Florencia, Siena y Arezzo. En cambio, desde el punto de vista histórico, se considera Chianti el territorio de los términos municipales de Gaiole, Radda y Castellina, o bien “la vieja Liga del Chianti” (alrededor de 1250 Florencia dividió su territorio en ligas para defenderse en caso de guerra. Radda in Chianti…

El debut del espléndido nuevo hogar del rey Tutankamón en el centenario de su descubrimiento, y en virtud de una serie de hallazgos arqueológicos recientes, suscita un renovado interés global en Egipto. Espectacular y moderno, el Gran Museo Egipcio se ubica en Guiza, en el borde de las pirámides. Es “el museo perfecto en el lugar perfecto”, asegura Fredrik Hiebert, arqueólogo en residencia de National Geographic Society. Hiebert empezó su carrera en Egipto y supervisa la exposición virtual multimedia “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience”. “Es como si los egipcios hubieran construido otra pirámide para exhibir todos los tesoros favoritos de Tutankamón, muchos de los cuales estaban ocultos en el sótano del [antiguo] Museo Egipcio de El Cairo -comparte-. Se convertirá en un destino en sí mismo y cambiará cómo la…

Rares sont les compagnies aériennes qui incluent maintenant le bagage en soute. Le coût supplémentaire pour votre voyage: entre 35 $ et 75 $ par valise par vol. Le prix de votre billet d’avion est déjà plus élevé qu’avant, alors pourquoi ne pas partir seulement avec un bagage de cabine et un sac de voyage que vous porterez avec vous? Si vous voyagez à plusieurs, pensez à combiner tous vos effets dans une seule grande valise qui ira dans la soute et à voir à ce que chacun ait un bagage de cabine pour la durée des vacances. Voyager léger vous permettra d’épargner une bonne centaine de dollars! On a peu d’incidence sur le prix des vols, mais on peut toujours choisir d’économiser autrement!…

Wolfsbarsch mit Nelkenpfeffer, Maniokpüree mit Passionsfrucht, luftige KokosPannacotta. Der Gaumen sagt: Karibik. Aber da ist auch die sanfte Abendbrise, der Blick auf die Skyline von MonteCarlo und die Sonne, die in allen Technicolorfarben über dem Mittelmeer versinkt – eindeutig Côte d’Azur. Für Marcel Ravin ist beides Heimat: die üppige Vegetation der AntillenInsel Martinique und die mediterranen Aromen von Monaco. Auf seinen Tellern bringt er beide Welten zusammen, etwa wenn er das Jodige von frischem Seeigel mit fruchtiger Kiwi und den leicht adstringierenden Noten eines Tees, den er aus den Blättern des karibischen MoringaBaums kocht, verbindet: „Die pflanzlichen Begleiter unterstreichen den Geschmack des Meeres.“ Seine Küche, von französischer Eleganz und karibischer Intensität, passt zu der großen Terrasse des „Blue Bay“, die über dem Wasser schwebt. Etwas außerhalb des Stadtzentrums im Ferienhotel MonteCarlo…

La raffinata architettura barocca delle città, i castelli e le fortificazioni, le grandi pianure percorse dalle ombre delle nuvole in fuga, le colline inarcate che sostengono le foreste sono i capoversi con i quali iniziano i racconti che descrivono questo paese. Tuttavia le testimonianze architettoniche ed artistiche non riescono mai ad occultare la vitalità della società ceca, lo sguardo rivolto al futuro e l’attenzione alla innovazione che sembrano voler rapidamente colmare il tempo passato dietro la Cortina di Ferro. Boemia Děčin al centro del Parco della Svizzera Boema, adagiata sulle rive del fiume Elba, esprime la sua potenza espressiva con il profilo del castello e della cattedrale barocca impennate su un’alta rocca. La cittadina è la base di partenza per la Pravčická brána, lo spettacolare ponte naturale di arenaria di…

PENDLE HILL, LANCASHIRE visitlancashire.com/explore/pendle-hill Once notoriously lawless, Lancashire is now best known for its peaceful hills – and infamous witch trials. Over 400 years ago, Pendle Hill was home to religious dissenters, traditional healers and self-confessed witches, 12 of whom fell victim to the trials – 10 were hanged. Climb Pendle Hill and if you don’t get home before dark, you might come across a wandering ghost or two! Stay at Clitheroe Camping and Caravanning Club Site campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk MOTHER SHIPTON’S CAVE, NORTH YORKSHIRE mothershipton.co.uk In ancient woodland by the River Nidd is England’s oldest visitor attraction – Mother Shipton’s Cave and the Petrifying Well. Born in the cave in 1488, Mother Shipton went on to be a famous prophet, foretelling the Great Fire of London and the Spanish Armada’s defeat. Nearby, the Petrifying Well is an awe-inspiring…

73 Rail trail movement gathers steam ABANDONED RAILWAY TRACKS around Australia continue to be reimagined as recreational trails for cyclists. And riding along these corridors is one of the most popular ways to enjoy a join-the-dots jaunt through the countryside. NSW’s first true rail trail on an ex-government rail corridor sealed the deal for the small townships of Tumbarumba and Rosewood, when the first section of the pioneering Riverina Highlands Rail Trail opened in 2020. The rail trail has put the Snowy Valleys region on the map, providing visitors with yet another excuse to hit the high country and explore this stunning subalpine region when it’s not dusted in snow. The trail is about 21 kilometres each way and includes interpretive signage about the history of the rail route and the…

THE RULE FOR spotting game in the bush is to look for what doesn’t belong. In the shaggy green wild of the southern Serengeti, a flash of ivory snags the eye like silk on a nail. Could it be? Yes, it is—a rare sight among the fever trees and gnarled acacias: a hot tub. It’s set into an elevated, wraparound deck of Kenyan Meru oak in the shadow of a sprawling canvas sheet. There are lounge chairs and, around the corner, a small dining table with a bottle of Chenin Blanc perspiring in a silver bucket on starched white cloth. The en suite, when fully opened to the breeze, offers panoramic watercolor views from the king-sized bed and feels closer to being outside than in, notwithstanding the stocked bar, writing…

I DISCOVERED THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST OF COSTA RICA by mistake many years ago. My tarpon fishing trip to the North Atlantic Coast was rained out, and I was stuck in San José for a few days. Not a city dweller, at least not in that city, I grabbed a cab in front of my hotel and, in broken Spanglish, asked the driver to take me to the nearest beach. Three hours later, I was seated on a bench overlooking a quiet strip of sand, eating the best ceviche I’ve ever had while sipping a bottle of Imperial. Life was good. It didn’t take much time to walk the unpaved streets, and an hour later, I was madly in love. Everything clicked during that brief visit: the weather, people, sounds,…

ALLISON OVERMON, an anesthesiologist and mom of three living in Davis, California, cherishes her family’s vacations, even if her 12-year-old son’s autism can make them stressful. “Liam loves traveling, but he can get easily overwhelmed by big crowds and loud noises,” she says. “It’s worth the effort, though, because I think it teaches him to be more flexible—and my other two kids deserve the gift of travel as well.” Overmon’s sentiments are common among families with children on the autism spectrum. Around four in five, or 78 percent, report being apprehensive about traveling, according to a recent survey by IBCCES, an organization focused on the needs of autistic people. Though each individual will have specific concerns, issues related to travel can include hypersensitivity to sounds, sights, and smells, as well as…

Los municipios de la Subbética, en pleno corazón de Andalucía, parecen flotar en el mapa como constelaciones de pequeñas estrellas próximas a Córdoba. Podría pensarse que pasan desapercibidas en comparación al esplendor de la antigua ciudad de los califas, pero lo cierto es que brillan con carácter propio. Adentrarse en este territorio es transitar por las tierras de relieve accidentado y áspera belleza del Parque Natural de las Sierras Subbéticas, donde aguarda un singular legado de tradiciones e historia. Aparece el pueblo de Iznájar como una pequeña península rodeada de agua por el embalse más grande de Andalucía. Aunque no lo vio así Rafael Alberti cuando llegó por primera vez a la región en los años 20 del siglo pasado. Entonces aún se enterraba a los muertos a hombro y por las…

FARO La capitale de l’Algarve, cette magnifique région ensoleillée du sud du Portugal, est à mettre sur votre liste si vous aimez les expériences de voyage authentiques. Souvent décrite comme plus «portugaise» que ses voisines, Faro abrite un centre-ville médiéval parsemé de cafés et de terrasses. Elle est aussi bordée de belles lagunes et de longues plages sablonneuses. Parmi les chouchous: la plage de l’Ilha da Barreta, située sur une île déserte (!), et celle de l’Ilha de Faro, plus fréquentée. ERICEIRA Qui dit voyage de surf au Portugal dit Ericeira. À 45 minutes au nord de Lisbonne, ce village de pêcheurs fait partie de l’une des 10 réserves mondiales de surf de la planète. Ses 8 km de plages protégées attirent des surfeurs et surfeuses du monde entier. Le…

IN DER FÜNFTEN ETAGE eines Apartmentkomplexes am Dresdner Zwinger hat Francesco („Franco“) Toros sein Restaurant eröffnet. Von hier bietet sich ein traumhafter Blick auf die Türme der Dresdner Altstadt. „Bollicine“ bedeutet „Bläschen“ – wie die feinen Perlen im Prosecco, hier trifft man eher auf kraftvolle italienische Lebenslust. Der Sizilianer Toro, vielen Dresdnern bekannt aus dem Restaurant „Rosengarten“, ist mit Leidenschaft Gastgeber und Küchenchef zugleich. Ob am Pass, beim Empfang, beim Servieren oder beim Abschiedsgrappa – Franco ist überall. Mit dem Anspruch, eine authentische italienische Küche und Fine Dining anzubieten, wechselt die kleine Karte, auf der handgemachte Pasta sowie frische Fisch- und Fleischgerichte zu finden sind, wöchentlich. Als Gruß aus der Küche kommt Burrata mit Jus aus getrockneten sizilianischen Tomaten, danach etwa eine Rote-Bete-Suppe mit Garnele. Man wählt zwischen Risotto mit Meeresspargel…

Was wäre, wenn man alles hinter sich ließe, um auf Föhr zu leben? Die Nordseeinsel stellte solche Fragen. Am liebsten möchte man ihrem Ruf folgen – egal ob für immer oder nur für ein Wochenende. Weil sie glücklich macht. Und weil sie so nahe liegt: Von Hamburg fährt man zwei Stunden mit dem Auto nach Dagebüll, eine weitere Stunde mit der Fähre nach Wyk. Die Erholung beginnt bereits mit der Überfahrt. Langsam gleitet die Fähre durchs flache Wasser. Bei Ebbe läuft sie manchmal auf Grund. Dann wartet man ein paar Stunden, bis das Meer wieder tief genug ist, um weiterzufahren. Entschleunigt geht es weiter. Auf Föhr lebt man mit den Gezeiten. Ich sitze am Sandstrand von Nieblum im Strandkorb und schaue auf die Nordsee wie auf eine weite, glänzende Bühne. Gegeben…

looking for a quick trip to get away with the family, then these top four spots will have your covered. KATOOMBA Katoomba is the heart of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains and an easy place to find your freedom. Not only is this charming town the gateway to spectacular natural attractions like the Three Sisters, it's also an attraction in itself, with wondrous heritage hotels, a thriving cafe culture, and shopping and galleries galore. The ridgeline heading west is dotted with quaint villages, from Leura with its cherry tree-lined shopping strip, to bohemian Blackheath. Breathtaking bushwalks unfurl from every town, with easy clifftop strolls like the Prince Henry Cliff Walk to Leura Cascades or more challenging hikes such as the calf-burning Grand Canyon Track. GLENBROOK First up is the town of Glenbrook. The region features a…

Since travel restarted postpandemic, one theme has emerged amid the overall chaos: travellers with disabilities being let down by airports and airlines. From special assistance passengers left on planes for upwards of an hour at the end of a flight to wheelchairs damaged in transit, there’s been headline after headline in the past 18 months. Now, it seems, things have reached crisis point. After her wheelchair was broken on a British Airways flight in February, TV presenter Sophie Morgan has launched a campaign with Disability Rights UK. Called Rights on Flights, its goal is to improve the airline experience for all passengers with disabilities. Why now? “The majority of the time when I fly, something bad happens,” says Morgan. “I’ve normalised the experience of something going wrong.” After her wheelchair…

PAXOS Beautiful beaches Legend says god of the sea Poseidon chipped a corner from Corfu with his trident to create tranquil Paxos. Days here are filled with sunbathing, snorkelling and dining in style, wandering ancient olive groves or glimpsing startlingly turquoise bays, dramatic coastal cliffs or the distant Epirus mountains. There are plenty of pretty coves to explore; rent a motorboat and find your favourite. In spring, the place is awash with colour and sound, as wild flowers and birds flourish. Just six miles by two, around 60 tavernas still thrive on this peaceful, non-commercialised island. LEFKADA Charming villages With turquoise waters, excellent water sports and award-winning beaches, this green and mountainous island is surrounded by 24 islets. As well as exploring villages such as Nydri and Vasiliki, a must-see is historic capital…

you feel as though you are in a botanical garden,” says photographer Nikole Herriott. “Butterflies are everywhere, soaring trees that are over 100 years old, and red, yellow, and green cocoa pods hang under canopies of orange flowers. The fragrance of ylang-ylang trees and breadfruit hangs in the air.” These twin islands in the Gulf of Guinea also have biodiverse rain forests that support more endemic species than the Galápagos (in 2012, Príncipe was designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve), as well as million-year-old mountains, pristine waterfalls, and untouched tawny beaches reached only by boat. Their history is harsh: Portuguese rulers turned much of this bountiful land into sugar and cocoa plantations, worked over by enslaved people. A rise of democratic reform following the end of colonialism has introduced…

Nepal es sinónimo de Himalaya, con ocho de los picos más altos del mundo. Pero el ser humano ha contribuido aque sea uno de los países más bellos, con una arquitectura tradicional formidable y su paisaje agrícola, unajedrezverde. De la plaza Tachupal Tole de Bhaktapur parte un callejón de dos metros de ancho que contiene laventana más hermosa del mundo. Es un labrado en madera que un artista del que no sabemos el nombre talló hace más de cinco siglos. Representa un pavo real con las plumas de la cola desplegadas y mira directamente a quien suba al primer piso de la tienda de recuerdos que hay en la acera opuesta. A menudo se le ha llamado la Monna Lisa de Nepal. Bhaktapur es la más bella y relajante de las tres…

« COOKING THE WORLD » Cuisiner le Monde au Cipriani Si près de Venise et pourtant si loin de l'agitation touristique… Depuis son ouverture en 1958, c'est l'une des excellentes raisons qui font du Cipriani un repaire de happy few, de Lady Diana au roi des Belges, de Sophia Loren à George Clooney, en passant par Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Brad Pitt ou Angelina Jolie. Situé à la pointe de l'île de la Giudecca, on y accoste en motoscafo, le bateau privé en acajou qui ne cesse de faire la navette entre le ponton de l'hôtel et le quai de la place Saint-Marc. Suites luxueuses avec des meubles vénitiens du XVIIIe siècle, des tissus précieux de Rubelli et Fortuny, des luminaires en verre de Murano et du marbre dans les salles…

HIER WEISS MAN ZU LEBEN Ganz ehrlich? Ich habe in der zurückliegenden Dekade das Elsass weitgehend gemieden. Noch vor zehn Jahren hatte ich rund um Straßburg das Gefühl architektonischen wie gastronomischen Stillstands, während sich in Colmar die Touristen gegenseitig über den Haufen rannten – was der Kulinarik allerdings auch nicht gerade half. Welch wunderbare Überraschung brachte dann ein neuerlicher Besuch: Das Elsass hat sich aufgemacht! Das ist überall spürbar, Alt und Jung berichten davon, und besonders bemerkbar macht sich dieser Aufbruch auf den Tellern und in den Gläsern. Aber fangen wir vorne an, an einem Morgen auf der Landstraße in Richtung Kaysersberg. Die Vogesen liegen als dunkelgrüne Schatten hinten im Frühnebel, und in der Ferne hört man Schüsse. DAS BEZAUBERNDE KAYSERSBERG ist 800 Jahre alt, unter den roten Dächern der wohlrestaurierten Häuser recken…

HOTELS Hotel Gitschberg MERAN Die Solarpanels, die sich draußen aufreihen, geben zwei Versprechen: viel Sonne (280 Tage im Jahr!) und Klimaschutz (Klima-Siegel!). Ansonsten verbindet das »Gitschberg« seinen Öko-Charakter mit viel Wohlfühl-Ambiente: Am Pool relaxt man auf Daybeds, umgeben von betörend duftenden Alpenblumen, und bestellt Eis mit hauseigenem Honig, mit Zitronen vom Gardasee und Haselnüssen aus dem Piemont. Der Sonne noch näher sind Gäste nur auf dem Gitschberg selbst – die Talstation der Gondelbahn ist gleich um die Ecke. gitschberg.it, DZ ab 177 € Biohotel Tirler SEISER ALM »Wenn, dann richtig«, hat Familie Rabanser beschlossen. Dass ihr ökologisches Bauprojekt viele Handwerker sinnbildlich schreiend zurück ins Tal rennen ließ, bremste weder die Hoteliers noch den Baubiologen, der für sie Magnetfelder, Elektrosmog und Schadstoffe analysierte. Sein Fazit: Massive Eisenträger wurden verboten, Lehm- und…

Alla scoperta delle due perle del Salento, dalle meraviglie del Barocco gallipolino alla città sui due mari che, secondo leggenda, è stata il primo approdo dell’eroe virgiliano Enea Il suo toponimo deriva dal greco classico Καλλίπολις che significa “bella città” ed effettivamente la pugliese perla dello Ionio, Gallipoli, pur essendo conosciuta prettamente come meta balneare estiva, di meraviglie da scoprire passeggiando per le sue strade ne ha davvero moltissime. La città, che si trova in provincia di Lecce e fa parte della regione storico-geografica del Salento, è composta da una parte più antica, che è una sorta di isolotto, unita alla città moderna dal seicentesco Ponte Dodici Arcate. Gallipoli e il suo Barocco I monumenti più interessanti di Gallipoli sono quelli risalenti alla seconda metà del XVII secolo, quando la città divenne dominio…