One legend, three interpretations and a very thirsty bear: here’s how to experience traditional Catalan culture at the Fêtes de l’Ours (Bear Festivals) in the French Pyrenees, the latest addition to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. With a grinning, sharklike mouth and googly eyes stuck at odd angles on the sides of its head, the…
The number of visitors to small, ravishingly beautiful Iceland is soaring – but this tiny country wasn't always so packed with tourists, and there are many important things to be aware of ahead of your visit. Sensible travelers will want to minimize their impact on the pristine environment and be considerate of local etiquette. In…
For its geographic size, the state of Hawaii is well-stocked with national park sites: eight, with one more in the works. You can see where America suffered one of its worst military disasters and learn about the war that followed, you can see how the islands were born (in real time!) and you can dive…
The USA has a whopping 423 national parks – and all are unmissable wonders. Whether they are preserving natural splendor, celebrating vital history, or protecting places burned into the national conscience, all will surprise, delight and inform. Each offers travelers something different, with adventures ranging from the spiritual to the active to the magical. Below…
India is the country that’s almost a continent. From the soaring peaks of the Himalayas to the waterlogged jungles of Kerala and the dry-as-a-bone deserts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, this enormous nation covers an astonishing variety of terrain, so there’s always somewhere worth visiting no matter what the weather is doing. The northern hemisphere winter…
The stuff of movies, cinematic Naples lives to eat. But there is far more to southern Italy’s iconic city of epic pizza than scoffing pizza margherita at Da Michele like Julia Roberts did in the 2010 movie Eat Pray Love or frequenting the pizzeria where Sophia Loren flipped ‘n fried dough on screen in the 1950s. Eating out in…
Seán Fitzgerald is a Dublin tour guide like no other. He's the local you always hope to meet - the one with stories and smiles and who knows all the secrets about a place you won't find on the internet. He details Dublin’s hidden histories through ballads and storytelling. Seán Fitzgerald calls himself a “singing tour…
Yosemite National Park is one of those dazzling, large-than-life destinations with a beauty that must be seen firsthand to truly appreciate it. Renowned landscape photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams did a good job introducing the public to this iconic park in the 1930s, when he began documenting its magic in black and white. Close to…
Over the last decade or so, Lisbon emerged as one of Europe’s top tourist destinations. With its cobbled alleys, soft color palette, Unesco-listed heritage sites and white-domed cathedrals, it has also drawn a flux of new residents, all seduced by its beauty and balmy weather. Hipster cafes may be replacing the timeless mom-and-pop corner stores in…
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