TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel said recent protests in the Canary Islands are not about tourism, but rather about a shortage of housing and lack of regulation of online platforms like Airbnb.
09.04.2024 - 15:19 / lonelyplanet.com
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by Sedona’s staggering scenery and unique vibe.
Every rambling trail of the geological wonderland seems to have a backstory that deepens every experience. It’s place that strikes a bold balance: a haven for visitors seeking spiritual enlightenment, or those wanting adrenaline-spiking adventure among the ancient red rocks and swaths of pine forest.
The Arizona city’s location in the high desert adds to its distinctive – and authentic – allure, and cool convergences lie everywhere. Locally produced wines pair well with desert cuisine. Pine forests flank red rocks. And Buddhist shrines and natural-vortex sites crackle with good vibrations.
From among such exciting options, here are 10 experiences not to miss in Sedona.
Sedona’s natural sacred sites have long been lured those seeking spiritual enlightenment. The area’s history originates with Indigenous people, who consider this land a holy place intended for healing and transformation. Yet it might seem surprising to find a pair of Buddhist stupas – mound-like shrines filled with relics and ritual offerings – erected among the red rocks. Located near Chimney Rock at the base of Thunder Mountain, Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park spreads out across 14 acres of junipers and pinyon pines.
The peace park was created by Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC), a Buddhist organization and study center with roots in Tibet. The 36ft (11m) Amitabha stupa, built according to principles of sacred architecture and geometry, was completed and consecrated in 2004; a bronze image of its namesake Buddha of Limitless Light is inside the stupa’s faceplate. The 6ft (2m), white Tara Stupa is named for the female Buddha. Practicing Buddhists pray to her for health, longevity and compassion. Anyone can visit this site: the organization emphasizes that it’s a place for “prayer, meditation and the experience of peace,” regardless of one’s faith.
While you shouldn’t confuse it with Sonoma, Sedona sits in Central Arizona’s Verde Valley at almost a mile in elevation, making it a great region for grape growing. Downtown, the Art of Wine provides a primer on local wines with by-the-glass offerings. And this range is far-reaching: Bordeaux blends, a single-varietal malbec, the familiar chardonnays and rieslings, plus an Arizona fave, Malvasia Bianca, a fruity white with a floral bouquet. Less than half a mile away is Winery 1912, which features Spanish and Iberian varietals grown at Dragoon Mountain Vineyard in the town of Willcox, one of Arizona’s three unique American Viticultural Areas (AVA) (the other two are nearby Verde Valley and Sonoita, south of Tucson).
Winemaking isn’t new to Arizona (Jesuit priests first planted grapes here in the 1690s) – or even to this
TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel said recent protests in the Canary Islands are not about tourism, but rather about a shortage of housing and lack of regulation of online platforms like Airbnb.
To each their own Genoa. One of the main Mediterranean seaports, with good connections to Milan and just a short distance from the Alps, the city has surprises in store for every type of traveller. A trip to Genoa is an opportunity to amaze friends, partners and family – and to enter a different world. A romantic Genoa for couples
In Japan, it’s not hard to find locals bathing in a public onsen and immersing themselves in the forest—wellness is woven into the fabric of everyday life. With nature considered divine in the Japanese indigenous religions of Buddhism and Shintoism, wellness in Japan is built around the prevalence of volcanoes, forests and hot spring pools. While you might see ‘forest bathing’ offered in the West, in Japan, it is more than a new-age wellness treatment, and considered a form of preventative healthcare. Likewise, ‘sand bathing’ is not a light-hearted children’s beach activity, but instead a therapeutic treatment whose benefits have been espoused for over 300 years.
The latest consumer spending data from GetYourGuide reveals a surge in demand for unique travel experiences and activities that align with personal passions.
In a mountain town about three hours outside of Mexico City, I sat on the floor of a thatched-roof palapa with blankets wrapped around me as a facilitator (both a researcher and medicine woman) sang soothing chants. A few hours earlier, I had declared my intention for our ayahuasca journey—that I want to live a big, meaningful, impactful life and am willing to release anything that does not serve that vision. By the end of the ceremony, where I took about three cups of the brew during the six hours between sunset and dawn, the message I received was that life is meaningless—that I might as well do whatever I want while I’m here.
American Airlines is gearing up to launch its new Flagship onboard products with a big update to the soft product.
As airlines capitalize on a post-pandemic surge in premium travel, American Airlines announced a rollout of new amenities to enhance customer experience.
Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast!
If Vienna isn’t on your must-see European city list, it should be. Austria’s capital city is a sensorial feast on the Danube River. Stunning ancient architecture lines the streets; classical music concerts provide a soundtrack; Habsburg-era palaces lend the city a noble air; and eating well, from simple sausage stalls to top restaurants, is a given.
Over a third of Americans are planning to vacation in France this year and a third of those are going specifically for the great wine, according to findings from luxury tour operator Scott Dunn. The company’s latest Travel Trends Report names France as the “place to be” when booking a trip in 2024. If you want to be part of that champagne-popping, sauvignon-sipping crowd, here are destination recommendations from Ashley Hall, senior travel consultant for Europe at the company.
The best mother-daughter trips tend to have a Goldilocks element to them: They’re not too romantic or too metropolitan; they don’t call for too many logistics—travel or otherwise—but they’re not boring; they’re not all-or-nothing: buzzy or sleepy, business or pleasure. But rather, they’re just like motherhood is: just right. The best mother-daughter jaunts blend a little bit of everything: great cities, historic museums, delicious food, and the best company.
A collective of quality, authentic, Aboriginal-guided tourism offerings, Discover Aboriginal Experiences (DAE) is delighted to launch four case studies on collective members going to extraordinary lengths when it comes to sustainable tourism, whether that relates to protecting the environment, community, culture – or all three.