It’s common for visitors to New York City to look at booking a hotel within Manhattan, often sticking around touristy Midtown or maybe heading to a more stylish area like SoHo or Lower East Side.
28.08.2023 - 10:49 / nationalgeographic.com / Ernest Shackleton
Set on the east bank of the River Cam, Cambridge is surely one of England’s most storied medieval cities, its cathedral and various colleges imbuing it with a grandeur on par with that of Padua, Siena or Salamanca. Synonymous with its world-famous university — not to mention the writers, thinkers and scholars who studied there — it comes as no surprise that this age-old centre of learning is home to a plethora of marvellously idiosyncratic museums and art galleries.
With a globe-spanning collection of some half a million artworks and artifacts, the Fitzwilliam is the University of Cambridge’s showpiece museum. Highlights include masterpieces by Titian and Canaletto, Anglo-Saxon jewellery and a wide range of priceless Islamic ceramics, just to name a few. There are more than 30 galleries to take in.
This small museum is based in the university’s Scott Polar Research Institute, set up by a surviving member of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica. It’s packed with all manner of objects relating to polar exploration: sleeping bags, Inuit artworks and expedition diaries, as well as Ernest Shackleton’s snow goggles. The museum is open Wednesdays to Saturdays; check the latest times before visiting.
Celebrate the diversity of animal life at this university museum, which has some of the best natural history collections in the world. It’s home to a menagerie of impressive exhibits, from an almost 70ft fin whale to an African elephant. The specimens on display span the whole animal kingdom.
With a focus on the social and cultural impact of technology, this museum explores the incredible advances made in computing over the past few decades, as well as during the earlier days of the Information Age. It’s a great day out with children, with mobile phones, calculators, games consoles and vintage computers all on show. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Based in a former family home and still retaining a cottage-like feel, this much-loved contemporary and modern art gallery is one of Cambridge’s quirkier attractions. That’s not to lower your expectations: the former occupant of the house was a curator at the Tate Gallery in London, and what’s on show is his own prized collection of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other curious objects.
Dedicating a collection to the history of humanity is an ambitious aim, and pulling the feat off says plenty about this museum. The MAA was founded in 1884 by Cambridge academics, and the university’s archaeologists, anthropologists and other researchers have continued to donate treasures over the years. There’s a strong focus on the Cambridge area, with an array of local archaeological finds on display.
It’s common for visitors to New York City to look at booking a hotel within Manhattan, often sticking around touristy Midtown or maybe heading to a more stylish area like SoHo or Lower East Side.
The Sámi, the Indigenous people of northern Europe, have a complicated relationship with tourism. Growing numbers of visitors to their homeland, Sápmi (which stretches across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, and includes popular destinations like Lapland) bring economic potential, but often the Sámi themselves only feel tourism’s negative impact.
If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando in 2023 and beyond, you're going to want to read this before you commit to any dates.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kayleigh Donahue, a TikTok creator who moved to Dublin, Ireland, from the US and lived there for four years. It has been edited for length and clarity.
England’s Heritage Open Days run from 8 to 17 September encompassing more than 5,000 volunteer-run events, tours and openings, all of which are free. For this year’s festival, Sound Leisure, which has been manufacturing classic jukeboxes since 1978, will be offering tours of its Leeds factory and showroom, with the chance to meet the team who hand-build these retro wonders. 14 September, 10am, booking required
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With the 2023 US Open now underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, many tourism-related locations are serving their own offerings. Here is a roundup of other events and activities happening near or around the time of the US Open.
Hugging the Andes mountains, Southern Peru continues to celebrate its age-old customs and traditions. Cities like Cusco, Puno and Arequipa proudly preserve ancient festivals and culinary techniques (think masked paraders paying homage to the Sun God and ceramic pots stacked on wood-fired ovens), making each an extraordinary destination for travelers craving authentic experiences.
No country in Asia, and possibly the world, is such a kaleidoscope of as Malaysia.
Rio de Janeiro offers easy access to mountains, beaches, and forests. From incredible museums, amazing nightlife, and unforgettable events like Carnival and New Year’s celebrations, to outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, zip lining, and surfing – Rio de Janeiro provides an unforgettable experience. It is also home to some of the world’s most unique and delicious cuisine, as well as a vibrant culture that can be found in its colorful architecture and lively street life. These Rio de Janeiro Airbnbs put you in the heart of the action.
Tucked at the confluence of history, culture, and modernity, Bodrum extends a gracious invitation to wanderers, luring them into a harmonious blend of sensations that ignite the spirit. This coastal gem, cradled by the azure waters of the Aegean Sea, unfurls its treasures in the form of ancient marvels, sumptuous encounters, and culinary wonders. With its beguiling allure, Bodrum casts a spell that transcends time, a siren's call to journey through luxurious accommodations, cultural revelations, and epicurean delights that weave tales of adventure and leave an unquenchable yearning to return.
Orlando is gearing up for an extraordinary autumn filled with Halloween thrills and fall festivities. With 93 days of frightful scares and family-friendly fun at theme parks and attractions, savory culinary experiences and vibrant cultural celebrations throughout the destination, Orlando presents an exceptional lineup of fall events for visitors of all ages. “From experiencing a taste of our dining scene at a discounted price to the Halloween thrills that you can only find in the Halloween Vacation Capital, Orlando offers something for every traveler this fall,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “Lively local events, ranging from our local LGBTQ+ pride celebration to our Hispanic heritage celebration, round out the diverse offerings.”