Breaking the Caribbean mould in Dominica

You pass so close to towering red rock canyons in southern Utah that you expect to hear scraping or see sparks as you glide by. They loom so dramatically over you that you stare without blinking. And if you’re on board the train Rocky Mountaineer, you have glass domed and sided coaches to take it all in, all of the majestic landscape on the Rockies to Red Rocks journey between Moab, Utah and Denver.

Vibrant, culturally rich and visually stunning – the islands of the Caribbean are like nowhere else on Earth. From cocktails to coral reefs, hiking to heritage, they offer something for all tastes and tempos. Here are seven unmissable highlights of the Caribbean.

When you think of the Caribbean, the first things that come to mind are most likely turquoise waters, relaxed vibes and swaying palm trees. But there’s a lot more to a trip to this part of the world than lazing around on a sunlounger, taking in the views and sipping exotic cocktails. The Caribbean offers a huge variety of other tempting activities, from windsurfing and waterskiing, to scuba diving and snorkelling to see some of the most beautiful, vividly coloured coral reefs imaginable. Here are a few of the must-try activities you can enjoy.

With its white-sand beaches and sparkling turquoise seas framed by palm trees, lush greenery and soaring mountains, there could hardly be a more romantic destination than the Caribbean. Whether you want to snorkel with spectacular sea life, indulge in a moonlit dinner á deux, have your cares massaged away or lounge together in a private cabana, the Caribbean offers the ultimate idyllic couples’ escape.

A recent report released from travel marketing engine Sojern, analyzed travel trends from January 2015 to April 2016 and found the top international destinations for U.S. travelers as well as the top emerging and declining international spots.

Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air will introduce new direct service from Boston’s Logan International Airport to Copenhagen, Oslo, and London (Gatwick) this May, making it Boston’s largest international airline. Norwegian joins other low-cost carriers like WOW Air in targeting Boston as its gateway to Europe.

These days, budget air deals aren’t hard to come by. There are plenty of flash sales and discount carriers to choose from, but not all of them are created equal. It’s become easy to find reasonable flights between big air hubs, but dreamy, far-off islands will almost always cost you more.

Blending seamlessly into the surrounding Punta Espada Golf Course, continually rated as one of the best in the world, St. Regis Cap Cana sits on one of the most alluring beaches in the world. A five-star branded real estate offering with prices ranging up to $25 million, The Residences at The St. Regis Cap Cana are designed for hosting extended gatherings for weeks or months on end.

Based on its name alone, you might picture a vast frozen wilderness, but actually only 11% of Iceland is covered with ice.

A guide in China's Yunnan province caused a heated online debate about tourist etiquette when she yelled at a passenger on her tour for sleeping on the bus.

Here at Rough Guides, we’re known for our “tell it like it is” ethos, which – coupled with our in-depth knowledge of destinations, reliability, attention to detail and resourcefulness – results in the best guidebooks out there. (We’re not biased.) The current coronavirus situation means we can’t get out there researching at the moment, so we’ve instead decided to take a look back at the wealth of travel writing from the Middle Ages to see whether any of these historical authors would have what it takes to join the Rough Guides team. We’ll be considering big names in the medieval travel industry, like Marco Polo, and more obscure applicants such as Simon of St Quentin. Let’s find out who’s in with a shot!