It’s that time of year again. Leaves are changing colors, shoulder season trips are in full swing, and international airlines are sharing what new routes travelers can expect next summer.
17.09.2024 - 02:02 / insider.com
My 40th birthday was looming. I wanted to do something special to mark it, but the idea of a big party where I was the center of attention sounded awful to an introvert like me.
Still, though, I wanted to celebrate with friends and family. I knew I didn't want presents, experiences that I would remember forever sounded more appealing. So, instead of a flashy celebration, I planned two incredible trips.
"You're going where?" everyone asked when we announced our intention to drive 1,500 miles around Namibia in 15 days.
We smiled at their reactions. The first trip took place in April and had been planned for months, with several route iterations exchanged between us and our tour operator. It was timed to fit between my husband's 40th in December and mine in June.
We were tired of kid-centered vacations, often involving waterslides and family-friendly resorts. This was about us, and it needed to be something different.
Of course, any travel with kids requires both mental and logistical preparation, but a road trip with this amount of driving was next level. I downloaded hours of age-appropriate audiobooks and scheduled a variety of activities to fit their physical stamina while scratching our travel itch.
We climbed the dunes around Dead Vlei early and tumbled down the slopes toward 1,000-year-old black petrified trees in the salt pan, but settled for observing Sossusvlei's tallest dune, Big Daddy, from a distance. In Swakopmund, we found kid-friendly restaurants, took a 4x4 tour instead of windsurfing lessons, and browsed gift shops rather than going dolphin-watching.
In Etosha National Park, we spent most of our time devouring ice cream at the campsite's watering hole. Elephants lumbered from north to south in front of us, while giraffes ambled to the water and cautiously lowered themselves to drink.
For accommodation, we kept it varied, sandwiching guesthouse stays between nights in the tents that unfolded from the top of our car. Every evening, we gathered around a barbecue or firepit to journal, toast marshmallows, or just watch flames dancing in the receding light.
It felt like a perfect balance between our pre- and post-kids travel identities. My family's trip to Namibia in 2019, booked with Namibia Tours and Safaris, cost $5,000, excluding flights.
Ten weeks later, and five days after my actual birthday, I was on the move once more, only this time on my own. I was headed to Paris for a reunion with my besties from school: three girls I'd known since we were 5 and who now live in the US, UK, and France.
I was exhilarated to be traveling solo again. The foray to France would conclude my birthday celebrations.
We all met at my friend's house in Saint-Germain-En-Laye, a serene suburb of the French
It’s that time of year again. Leaves are changing colors, shoulder season trips are in full swing, and international airlines are sharing what new routes travelers can expect next summer.
Qatar has been added to the United States Visa Waiver Program, meaning citizens of both countries can visit the other visa-free. The small Arab state is the first country to be added this year and the only country in the Gulf region on the list.
In May 2022, I rode the Rocky Mountaineer — one of the world's most luxurious trains. The Canadian train company operates four routes, and I was on its US route heading to Moab, Utah, from Denver.
Near the start of 2024, Pelumi Nubi started a solo overlanding trip from London to Lagos, Nigeria. The 4,000-plus mile trip included ferries, long desert drives, and a train that doesn’t run on an exact schedule.
For Italians, Sardinia is synonymous with “Costa Smeralda” (Emerald Coast), the summer playground of the rich and famous. But the natural and cultural attractions of the second-largest island in the Mediterranean are available to many travelers, not just the glitterati who gather on their mega-yachts at Porto Cervo every August.
It’s looking like Dominica will get an international airport by 2026, and this will be game-changer for visitors. The project, costing north of $1 billion, will welcome international flights from around the world — a stark contrast to the facilities at the current airport, Douglas-Charles Airport, which mainly handles domestic flights and around 60,000 passengers per year through the three gates. Dominica International Airport has been in the planning stages for several years. The new airport is being built on a 500-acre site. On completion, the runways will facilitate planes from local Caribbean airports and the US and Europe.
The Casbah Coffee Club, a cultural landmark for Beatles fans in Liverpool, England, has recently opened its doors to Airbnb guests. It’s here, in this basement of this home, where The Beatles played some of their earliest gigs.
JetBlue recently unveiled plans for lounges at both Boston Logan International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Just as September or «National Passport Month is underway, the U.S. State Department has released additional dates for its ongoing passport fairs, making applying for a first time passport even easier. The agency published an updated schedule for September and October, which will take place in many states including California, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. For example, the Seattle Passport Agency will be open on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9am-2pm, where the office is regularly closed on weekends. Applicants should be advised that appointments are required, and can be booked on the office’s website. Other events include the Boston Passport Agency on Sept. 26, Atlanta Passport Agency on September 28, the University of Texas at Dallas on September 28, the Broward County Clerk in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Oct. 12, and more.
HBO's hit TV series "Entourage" has had a big influence on John Baptist's life.
Explora Journeys has officially celebrated the naming ceremony of its latest luxury ship, Explora II, at the port of Civitavecchia, Italy, near Rome. The event marked another significant milestone for the MSC Group’s luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand, following the ship’s official delivery just days ago.
Sep 16, 2024 • 6 min read