10 of the best low-impact U.S. adventures

No landscape is as iconically associated with Arkansas as the Ozark Mountains. These forested highlands are crucial to the state's self-conception as a natural, rugged wonderland that incubates deep folk culture and a cherished sense of independence. The Ozarks dominate northwestern Arkansas, where they are divided into two geologic categories: the Springfield Plateau and the Boston Mountains.

MADEIRA IS, FOR THE 10TH TIME, THE BEST ISLAND DESTINATION IN EUROPE. PORTO SANTO IS THE BEST BEACH DESTINATION AND THE MADEIRA PROMOTION ASSOCIATION THE BEST TOURISM ENTITY. Funchal will host two international World Travel Awards galas in November this year.

Often misunderstood as a chaotic urban jungle or a mere pit-stop before hopping the islands, Greece’s capital is having a shining moment. Driven by young Athenians who have moved back to the city following years of financial crisis, Athens is experiencing a renaissance in its arts and culture scene. While the Cyclades have made Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the Best Places to Go in 2024, for those en route to the islands, Athens and its bon vivant attitude await, and demand more than just a single night to be discovered.

The World Travel Awards celebrates the best in the tourism and hospitality industries every year. This year, travel professionals and the public selected the nominations for the best new hotels in Europe that offer the ultimate destinations for travelers.

The Faroe Islands offer superlative hiking, bird-watching and awe-filled experiences, with shard-like moss-covered mountains and roads snaking around fjords that will take your breath away.  A trip to this relatively off-the-beaten-track archipelago takes you under the sea – via the world’s first subsea roundabout – over it, on a range of ferries and boat trips, and around it, seeking seabird-filled cliffs, wild beaches and idyllic hiking trails. 

Calling all beach bums: the Maldives is a region famous for its palm-fringed desert islands, most of them surrounded by gin-clear water teeming with tropical fish.

You don’t have to be a certified diver to come face-to-face with some of the sea's most fascinating creatures. In fact, in some destinations, you can simply wade from the sand into the shallows with your mask and snorkel and enjoy some incredible marine life encounters. 

The Faroe Islands are perfect for families who love fresh air, outdoor fun and freedom.

Nothing makes you feel the force of nature like a stay in the Faroe Islands. For a start, those volcanic, moss-clad mountains with boulders the size of houses on their sharp slopes make you feel as small as an ant. Add to that torrents of water pouring down them on rainy days, powerful winds, ever-changing skies, and dark sea stacks set like paper cut-outs against the horizon, and you get the picture. It is like nowhere else on earth. 

All hotels are eligible for a category award at the TUI Global Hotel Awards 2024.

The Amalfi Coast, with its chalk-colored towns clinging to the wooded coast, glorious food, fragrant citrus groves and glamorous beaches backed by Italy’s most stunning seacliffs, is one of Italy’s highlights.

There are plenty of iconic symbols that come to mind when I think of Japan — like towering pagodas and red torii gates. But the country has also become famous for its breathtaking cherry blossoms.