When you're traveling, there are a million reasons to stay in a hotel—the most obvious being a guaranteed place to lay that pretty little head of yours. But these days, when Airbnb and other alternative stays offer at the very least that same thing, it's important to take into account the wonderful amenities hotels have to offer on top of the bare necessities. Consider the hotel breakfast, for example. Writing generally, if you're staying in one of the best hotels in the world as our editors often do, you can count on some sort of solid-if-not-outright-sumptuous spread to see you out the door ahead of a day spent doing whatever it is you've traveled to do. While every meal is a privilege, we have some opinions about which breakfasts went above and beyond.
8 of the best dive sites in the Caribbean
25.10.2024 - 16:03 / lonelyplanet.com
Oct 24, 2024 • 7 min read
Your heart pounds overtime with excitement as you finally descend to the bottom of a dive site. A whole new world unfolds before your eyes. From walls to reefs, wrecks to piers, scuba diving allows you to tap into your inner adventurous self and see an unlimited amount of fascinating marine life in its natural habitat.
Many Caribbean islands offer diving during all seasons so your chances of spotting diverse organisms – from sea horses to reef sharks, turtles to shrimp – is possible year-round. Getting certified through PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is a must and can be done on most Caribbean islands, allowing you to use your certification for life (although you may benefit from a refresher course if you have a large gap between dives). From night dives to shipwrecks, you’ll see that the variation in these underwater landscapes is endless. Here are our favorite dive destinations in the Caribbean.
What to expect: An underwater marvel awaits at St Vincent’s Byahaut Bat Cave: you swim through a fissure between two rocks in order to enter the dive site. Look up at the top of the cave to see dozens of bats hanging out on the ledges before making your descent. There is plenty of marine life at around 40–60ft (12–18m) deep, including eagle rays, pipefish and seahorses.
What to know: Book an early morning dive trip to Bat Cave to avoid the crowds that come on other dive boats. Seeing the bats inside the cave is a great bucket list diving experience for the adventurous.
How to make it happen: The Sandals St Vincent Dive Center offers all-inclusive diving while staying on the property, including all equipment needed. Alternatively, book your trip through dive operators such as Canouan Scuba Center or Dive St Vincent.
What to expect: In Western Jamaica, near Negril, the Deep Plane dive site offers divers the chance to explore the nooks and crannies of a Cessna 152 aircraft wreck, for which the site is named. There is also a robust and active coral reef surrounding the wreck. Once you descend to the plane, look for colorful coral crusting along the wreck as well as a variety of marine life, including turtles, sharks, sea fans and various rays living on the coral.
What to know: Diving is possible year-round, but since the plane sits at 90ft deep (27m) it is recommended for advanced divers only, which is those with a PADI Advanced Open Water Certification or higher.
Make it happen: You can rent equipment and take PADI dive courses at the ScubaCaribe dive shop in Negril. The dive instructors are friendly and knowledgeable about first-timers' concerns like answering questions about depth, safety, and proper equipment. You can also book through One Love Scuba Dive
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KiwiRail Is the Best Way to Explore New Zealand's South Island
Wellington, New Zealand straddles one of the world’s great natural harbors. It's a vibrant capital city, gently nestled along the corrugated landscape that rises from the water to meet the 650-foot ridgelines of Matairangi (also known Mount Victoria). As stunning as it was to observe this scene from the Interislander ferry port, I had to wonder what I was doing here: I came to embark on a nearly two-week long Great Journeys New Zealand train trip. But this was where the adventure was to commence—aboard a 1350-passenger sea vessel, with nary a track nor train car in sight.
The Best Time to Visit Switzerland
Whenever you're dreaming of cosmopolitan cities, glistening lakes, and verdant mountain vales—that's the best time to visit Switzerland. If the mood strikes you to dip into Lake Geneva in the summertime, or cozy up in the winter for a dinner of raclette-covered everything, you need to go to Switzerland as soon as you can. As for the actual logistics of how to time your visit to this landlocked European country of centuries-old culture and commerce, it all depends on what you want to get out of your trip.
The Best Time to Visit Madrid
The best time to visit Madrid varies, and it depends on what you're looking for on your trip to Spain. Poolside lounging and people-watching in plazas under guaranteed sunshine is possible between mid-spring and early autumn, but the height of summer can make outdoor sightseeing a little unbearable. Madrid’s restaurants are fabulous year-round, and the food scene is thriving like never before, but there’s a charm to scouring the local markets and following fellow foodies as they spill into sprawling parks to tuck in either side of the midday sun. Here, we run through the seasonal highlights of the Spanish capital, explaining why it’s possible to uncover a new side to the city every month of the year.
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5 of the best islands in the Florida Keys
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This Is the Happiest State in the U.S. — and It Has Amazing Beaches, Too
What makes each of us happy is certainly subjective. However, there is one easy way you can increase your chances of feeling that emotion: Choosing to live in a happier state. In September, WalletHub released its study ranking the happiest states in the U.S. It came to its conclusion after evaluating all 50 states across three key dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment. Those three dimensions were evaluated using 30 metrics, including the physical health of the population, sleep rates, food insecurity, commute times, income growth rate, average leisure time per person, safety, and more. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness. It then averaged each state's numbers to calculate its overall score.
The Best Wine Bars in Athens for a Taste of Greece's Long Viticultural History
Where to eat and drink is a high priority for many travelers. For those who work in the industry, that’s especially the case. I’ve been in the wine business for more than 10 years, first as a wine buyer for a retail store in New York City, and then as a journalist for the past seven years. Finding the best places to get a glass in a new destination is one of the first things I research. This past summer, I headed to Athens for the first time and was intrigued by the city’s wine scene before even hitting the ground.
