My Favorite Airbnb: A Minimalist Bali Retreat With a Sense of Community

A hill I will die on: There are few types of trips as stressful to organize as group travel. But we are all just walking contradictions, and while I hate organizing big group trips, being around all of my friends is one of my favorite ways to vacation. So, when my best friend asked me to be her maid of honor, I happily accepted, knowing that I would undoubtedly need to shepherd multiple people to one place at the same time to plan the bachelorette party of her dreams.

As the host of popular TV shows ranging from Bizarre Foods to Magnolia Network’s Family Dinner, Andrew Zimmern has traveled and eaten his way across the globe.

Millennial and Gen Z travelers are over tourist traps.

Ten years on, Secret Food Tours is a glowing success story and a keen favorite of travelers who are looking for something more than a standard “touristy” city food tour. Oliver Mernick-Levene and his partner Nico Jacquart launched their foodie venture in 2014 and experienced rapid growth in sales of 1220% within their first two years. By 2022, they had achieved revenues of $10 million, with a forecasted growth to $50 million by 2027. Secret Food Tours are in 63 cities worldwide from Amsterdam to Tokyo, with recent launches in Atlanta, Savannah, Brussels and Stockholm. The aim is to be in 100 cities by the end of 2024.

When some people think of a luxury stay that caters to the ultra wealthy, they may imagine a five-star hotel with a Michelin-star restaurant. Others might think of an overwater bungalow that makes them feel at one with the ocean.

Thwack! My knee slams into the boxing pad my coach, Win, is holding up. “Power!” Win yells.  “More power!”  Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! My kneecap feels like it’s about to explode. Sweat dribbles off my nose and onto the mat, little raindrops of exertion. “Harder!” he says. “Stronger! You can do it!”

Trying my best not to make a mess, I devoured the chocolate-drizzled, walnut-topped qatayef and instantly felt better about the wet, wintery day. In Jordan and throughout the Middle East, these palm-sized semolina pancakes are typically only popular during the holy month of Ramadan—As-Salt, a city on three hills about an hour north of the Jordanian capital of Amman, is “the only place where one can find qatayef year-round,” my As-Salti guide Sewar Alfauori explained between bites.

Depending on age and leisure time for traveling, when talking about gap years for “older generations” there are two basic types: adult gap years and golden gap years, also known as silver or middle-aged gap years, and gray or boomers gap years.

Saudi is emerging as a wellness capital, with its diverse regions championing bespoke wellness experiences. Its awe-inspiring natural landscapes are the perfect backdrop to reset and restore travellers – think pristine waters, lush green mountains, fresh air, outdoor oases and rolling desert dunes, plus a boost of vitamin D to mark the end of winter.

Zulal Wellness Resort, the first wellbeing retreat of its kind in the Middle East, combines a newly enhanced wellness experience with an extraordinary location between desert and the sea.

The honk of the geese as they take off from the lake is comically loud, reeds quiver and the reflection of the clouds on the water is momentarily fractured. A butterfly flits by, landing on my boot. We’re on a guided walk at 42 Acres, a regenerative farm, nature reserve and retreat centre near Frome in Somerset – and the whole place feels vibrantly alive.

I absolutely love Italy, for many different reasons. But I hate the way in which many Americans go about planning trips there. Survey after survey shows it is the number one dream destination for U.S. leisure travelers, but the way those travelers get their information and advice gives me nightmares.