How to plan a family holiday in Japan

After moving from North Carolina to Okinawa in 2022, my family was overwhelmed but fascinated by our surroundings. One familiar monument made us feel right at home: McDonald's two golden arches. 

Travelers now have the chance to win enough airline miles to last for many trips to come.Air Tahiti Nui's “Share The Love” contest will give away a total of 1,000,000 airline miles from the loyalty program in increments of 25,000 miles each to winning travelers. As for the ‘sharing’ component of the contest, each winner who gets the prize of 25,000 miles, can give 25,000 to a person of their choice. The original winner also receives a private helicopter flight courtesy of Tahiti Nui Helicopters.

Last year, New York City welcomed the much-anticipated opening of Aman New York. This Zen-like gem on west 57th Street has been heralded for its spacious suites, which each include multiple high-tech gadgets, fireplaces and luxurious décor. It is one of the most relaxing city properties and also features a spectacular spa, an impressive gym, and perfectly curated dining experiences. Nothing quite prepares you for the sense of calm you feel as you first walk in and guests who have enjoyed other Aman properties will be thrilled to experience the same level of service and artistry. Perhaps lesser known is the fact that Aman New York is also an ideal hotel for families. Below are several reasons that families will feel extremely welcome in this urban oasis.

There are certain things that passengers have come to expect while traveling by plane: long security lines, a small treat after takeoff (if you're lucky), and seats that face forward. 

Last year, we hired a lovely property sleeping eight two miles from Lake Garda. It was in a hamlet with two gorgeous Italian restaurants and a shop selling seemingly everything. We drove from Lincolnshire with our two dogs, in our motorhome. Our three grown-up children and their partners joined us there. The property owner arranged a pasta cooking day with local wine, meat and cheeses. We barely left the villa and the time spent just talking and playing games was priceless. Having nothing but time to chill and talk proved to be our best holiday.Cath Delsignore

When Kevin Maloney started to plan his trip to Iceland, a friend mentioned a new service called ViaHero. “I knew there was a lot to see in Iceland and I had a short period of time. I didn’t want to spend a lot of personal time doing the research,” Maloney says. “My goal was to have an expert map it out for me.”

UPDATE: As if United weren’t already getting enough bad press from the dead-dog-in-the-overhead incident, just days later the airline mis-shipped two dogs to two different destinations. A Kansas City-bound German shepherd was flown to Japan, while the Japan-bound Great Dane landed in Kansas City. Once again, United issued an apology, and “is looking into the matter.”

Looking for the ultimate family-bonding trip? Check out G Adventures’ brand new Family Journeys, designed for multi-generational travelers.

Top 10 lists are ubiquitous, especially in travel; it seems there’s one for everything. And when it comes to destinations, whether it’s a “most popular” or “up-and-coming” ranking, these lists tend to be a mix of well-known cities and semi-under-the-radar places. Unless you’re a Booking.com user planning 2020 travel, apparently.

If you're feeling tired of your local concert hall, or you fancy combining a trip with some world-class music, you may want to consider one of these truly memorable music holidays, from Rough Guides' Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth .

Niigata is a port city on the main Japanese island of Honshu. With a rich history, fine museums and a raft of fantastic cultural experiences on offer, you’ll never be stuck for things to do in Niigata. This spellbinding itinerary takes you from Niigata City to Sado Island, cast adrift in the Sea of Japan. Sado, like Niigata, is known for its rice fields, but also for its superlative local arts and crafts, traditional performing arts and oyster farms. Here’s how to spend 7 days in Niigata and Sado.    

Kanazawa City has an array of cultural sights, but there’s a thriving folk-craft scene to get excited about, too. Recognized by UNESCO as a City of Crafts and Folk Art, you’ll find a range of exquisite traditional arts and crafts represented in Kanazawa. From Kanazawa gold leaf to delicate embroidery, local porcelain to colourful washi umbrellas, there’s good reason as to why the UNESCO Creative Cities Network has registered Kanazawa as a ‘City of Handicrafts’, with 22 kinds of traditional crafts among the city’s treasures.