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Tips to Make Off-Season and Off-the-Beaten Track Travel Work for You
It’s time to go ‘off’ travel. Yes, you read that right. Two of the smartest trends in travel are about visiting bucket list destinations when everyone else isn’t, and finding new destinations other people have yet to discover. Here’s why. OFF SEASON Your choice of travel season can make a big difference to your experience and travel budget. And the good news is that there’s more flexibility and options than ever. ‘High’ season is the historically most popular time to visit a particular destination. Or just the most popular time to travel, due to ‘non-negotiable’ travel events like school breaks and holidays. Whether or not you want to fight the…
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Unpacked: Airline Industry Launches New Era for Luggage Handling
Compared to many aspects of air travel, modernizing baggage handling seems, well, pretty ‘delayed.’ Am I the only person who is astounded at the fact that, as airport security has tightened so much when it comes to travelers and their water bottles, people can still just pull any bag off a carousel and walk out the door with it? Or that we let even inexperienced travelers attach their own sticky paper luggage tags, willy-nilly, and just drop them on a conveyor belt, along with thousands of other travelers’ bags, all going to different destinations on different flights… and hope for the best that they’ll show up at the same time…
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Amsterdam at 750: Still the City of the Future
In 1275, no one could ever have imagined that a simple dam on the Amstel River would become a city that pioneered so many elements of modern life in the 21st century. As Amsterdam marks ¾ of a millennium, travel lovers with 20/20 hindsight can celebrate the European capital’s contributions to shaping our world today, as well as what continues to make it a beacon for visitors. The Dutch capital marks its official start by that 13th-century document granting it city rights and allowing local residents to build a dam to manage the flow of the Amstel river without paying tolls. This pivotal moment was the foundation of transforming a…
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Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday in Britain
If the famous line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife,” makes you smile affectionately and fantasize about the green pastures, elegant architecture, style and social intrigues of Regency Britain, you are not alone. For two centuries, Jane Austen’s witty, observant and kind novels have delighted readers and inspired travelers to discover the world of the author and her cast of beloved characters. This ground-breaking female author’s books still among the most-read English-language classics. And they are also among the most-adapted into film and television, engaging fans who may not even realize they are immersed in…
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Falafel, Pharaohs, and Fiction: My Lifelong Love Affair with Egypt
I am in love. Deeply, madly, crazy in love – with Egypt. It started when I was in high school, probably inspired by the arrival of the King Tut exhibit in Toronto some years earlier. I was desperate to go, but my mother refused to take me. She hated crowds and said it would be packed. She was right. First, I fell for all the ancient history. I spent my high school years reading Egyptology texts – for fun. I scrimped and saved from my first job until I had enough to join a group tour of Egypt, where I got to see the King Tut collection in Cairo, and…
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Disney Announces New Theme Park
Disney fans collecting theme park visits will soon have a new and spectacular destination to compare cherished characters, memorable experiences and new thrills. The Walt Disney company has announced plans for its 7th park. The uniquely waterfront resort will be located on an island in futuristic Abu Dhabi. The Yas Island Disney park will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture. Yas Island Located on the shores of Abu Dhabi – just 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 50 minutes from Dubai, the 10.5 square mile Yas Island already offers vacationing families an extraordinary range of experiences. They include…
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Disneyland Resort Celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2025 with Limited-Time Events
Beginning in May, 2025, Disneyland is inviting the world to ‘Celebrate Happy’ as it marks 7 decades of making joy. Anniversary celebrations continue through summer 2026, with new festivals, décor, food and beverages, collectibles and events just for the milestone celebrations in Anaheim, California. You’ll find family fun across two theme parks, Downtown Disney District and three hotels. Disneyland is bringing back the ‘Paint the Night’ parade, and debuting a new ‘World of Color Happiness!’ Disneyland’s anniversary celebrations see the triumphant return of the fan-favorite “Paint the Night” parade, featuring stunning color, vibrant floats and more than a million brilliant LED lights. Guests can look forward to the new “World…
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Cruise to the Total Solar Eclipse in 2026!
On August 12, 2026, we are in for a rare and remarkable celestial event – a total solar eclipse – and a cruise may be the best place for you to experience it. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe this millennium! When you combine an extraordinary natural spectacle that may be best viewed at sea, with the popularity of European holidays, in the warm summer months… that’s a recipe for a must-book vacation of a lifetime. Highlights of the August 12, 2026, Total Solar Eclipse This eclipse presents a rare opportunity for observers in Europe and beyond to experience the awe-inspiring phenomenon of totality. (Image: Princess…
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A Whole New River Cruise Destination as AmaWaterways Launches 1st Colombia Ship
AmaWaterways has debuted the AmaMagdalena, the first-ever major river cruise line ship to navigate Colombia’s Magdalena River. The launch opens a completely new cruise destination for fans of river cruising looking to add to their collection of exotic river cruises beyond Europe. With the launch, you can now cruise on AmaWaterways or other river cruise lines on the Amazon in South America, as well as Africa’s Nile and Chobe rivers, the Ganges in India, the Mekong in Vietnam, and more. About the AmaMagdalena The AmaMagdalena was custom-designed for river cruising on Colombia’s Magdalena River, including her intimate size, for just 60 guests. The cruise line collaborated with Colombian designers, craftspeople…
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This Overwater Pickleball Court is Causing a ‘Racket’
The pickleball craze continues! Not content to dominate community parks around North America, the sociable, ‘tennis light’ paddle sport is taking root in holiday destinations – not just on land resorts and hotels, but also at sea, and, in the latest twist, overwater! Pickleball on the Rivers of Europe AmaWaterways made waves when it became the first river cruise line to introduce a full-sized pickleball court (pictured, below). That’s courtesy of the extraordinary (for river cruise ships) size of the AmaMagna, the largest river cruise ship in Europe, about double the width of most other cruise ships. That’s just enough extra space to accommodate a regulation-sized pickleball court that debuted at…
