On the heels of Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week—which takes place in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia from January 15–21, 2024—there are two other Restaurant Week events happening this month throughout Northern Virginia.
28.12.2023 - 10:27 / lonelyplanet.com / Anthony Bourdain / Gordon Ramsay
Whether you plan on spending the last few days of the year relaxing in front of the screen for some well-deserved rest, or plotting out your next travel adventure for 2024, there’s nothing like some armchair traveling to get you inspired.
From the dunes of the world’s largest uninterrupted sand mass, to the jungles of Costa Rica and ancient ruins of Sicily, here’s a look back at some of the best TV and film releases of 2023 that sparked our travel imagination.
Costa Rica, Maldives, Finland, South Africa
The premise seems counterproductive at first: hiring an actor who openly acknowledges that he shuns adventure and doesn’t like to step beyond his comfort zone, to host a travel show. Except, of course, when that host is Eugene Levy, the co-creator of the Emmy-Award winning Schitt’s Creek.
Over eight episodes, we watch the crotchety but endearing host (a bit we’re already familiar with through the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay) ice float in Finland, preside over a sumo match in Tokyo, and tackle his lifelong fear of heights on a suspension bridge over the Costa Rican jungle and in a helicopter ride above the canyons of Utah. Other destinations include Venice, the Maldives, Lisbon, and South Africa. Expect Levy’s trademark deadpan humor, some seriously extravagant hotel stays and breakout moments of Levy’s warmth and authenticity when connecting with locals. Season Two is currently in the works.
Watch on AppleTV+.
Abu Dhabi, Italy, Norway
Director Christopher McQuarrie said of the latest installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, that the goal was to make a “bigger film, more global film”. Consequently, some of the biggest action sequences take place in settings like the sand dunes and salt flats of the Empty Quarter in Abu Dhabi (the world’s largest uninterrupted sand mass), the streets of Rome and the canals of Venice.
A dramatic train sequence also gives center stage to the Rauma Railway in Norway, which travels along the Kylling Bridge and is often described as the most beautiful train ride in Norway. But it’s the Helsetkopen Mountain in Norway that gets the big spotlight, when Tom Cruise famously accomplished what the movie studio described as the “biggest stunt in cinema history” by jumping off the cliff on a motorcycle, and turning it into a base jump. Not once, but six times. Verdict? Mission accomplished (you saw that coming).
Watch on Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies and TV, AppleTV and Google Play.
Iceland, Bulgaria, Thailand, Ghana, LA
You could say that this series brings those yearly “world’s happiest places” rankings to life. Hosted by Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight Shrute from The Office, the five-part docuseries takes the actor – who speaks candidly
On the heels of Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week—which takes place in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia from January 15–21, 2024—there are two other Restaurant Week events happening this month throughout Northern Virginia.
It wasn’t too long ago that experts in the travel industry were talking about “Revenge Travel”, a cultural phenomenon and consumer reaction where there was a surge in people wanting to make up for lost time due to the pandemic by traveling and bagging more experiential adventures.
Set between the Vanoise National Park and the Italian border, Bessans is a small resort with a big reputation. Its large, flat, high-altitude plateau has become something of a hub for Nordic skiers, the terrain perfectly primed for cross-country. Not only does the resort offer over 83 miles of dedicated cross-country routes, Bessans is also home to the Haute Maurienne Vanoise International Biathlon Centre (MHVIBC), a modern stadium dedicated to one of today’s fastest-growing winter sports. Combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, modern biathlon has developed from a Norwegian military training exercise to one of the most popular winter sports, with 11 dedicated Winter Olympic events ranging from sprints to group relays.
As the calendar flips to a new year, Unique Vacations, Inc. (UVI) – an affiliate of the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts – inaugurates 2024 as “The Year of More” at an energizing Global Sales Conference designed to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the travel advisor community and reinforce its crucial role within the ecosystem of tourism for the Caribbean at large. The first of its kind since 2019, the event was held between Sandals Dunn’s River and Sandals Ochi, and united esteemed Caribbean government officials, Sandals Resorts executives, and over 200 members of Unique Vacations global sales force for a weekend of reflection, strategic alignment, and gathering momentum in the direction of selling the coveted Caribbean.
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Tourism in Jackson Hole may peak when throngs of travelers head to the area’s nearby national parks—Grand Teton and Yellowstone—in the summer, but the winter ushers in the famous snowfall. With anywhere between 75 and 450 inches of powder a year and temperatures that sit well below freezing, the Western region is a haven for winter sports enthusiasts. The months of world-class skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and snowmobiling are also interspersed with rousing events—including Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s annual freeride competition, Kings & Queens of Corbet's, in February—and a roster of cozier affairs, including Jackson Hole Food & Wine’s Winter Fest in March. Given the recreational area’s wide-ranging appeal this time of year, it’s always a good idea to book your accommodations as soon as possible.
The 2023-24 ski season is off to a rocky start in much of the U.S., despite an El Nino weather pattern having promised another snowy winter.
A teen passenger had his shirt sucked off his body when the door plug of an Alaska Airlines plane blew away in mid-air last week.
Junebug Weddings revealed the winners of its annual wedding photography contest in December.
A tour operator has been accused of scamming customers out of more than $25,000.
It's the first month of a new year, a time when many of us try beginning anew with an ambitious set of resolutions in tow. But frequent fliers know that more than just personal goals are refreshed on January 1—the fateful day when most airlines reset their elite status counters.
Norway is a treasure trove of remarkable experiences waiting to be discovered.