The 15 Biggest Travel Scams, and How to Avoid Them

In Bududa, a lush yet landslide-prone district of eastern Uganda, Mary Butsina and a growing number of other women farmers are building their livelihoods around coffee. “I’m supporting all of my 10 children with it,” says the 36-year-old, holding a red bucket, Mount Elgon looming behind her.

Traditional food has a stronghold on Athens’ dining scene, and Greece as a whole. Widespread respect for classic dishes means that family recipes are often untampered with, even at restaurants, but contemporary newcomers have also found their voice in the sea of tradition.

When downtown rents dropped because of the pandemic, lots of ambitious shops, cafes and restaurants ended up launching as a result. There’s a real sense of revitalisation in the city.

Located in the centre of New Zealand's North Island, the town of Taupo sits sublimely in the shadow of the snow-capped peaks of Tongariro National Park. Fittingly, this 40,000-person lakeside town has recently become one of New Zealand's most popular tourist destinations, as hikers, trout fishers, water sports enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies have started descending upon it.

All travel is by definition quixotic — the most seasoned globetrotters can be led on wild goose chases, deceived, and/or just plain make huge mistakes all by themselves about what's around that next corner. Trekking up to the Scottish highlands to look for "Nessie," aka, the Loch Ness "monster," allegedly "sighted" — perhaps even several times — a half-century ago in the Highlands' breathtakingly gorgeous 23-mile-long freshwater lake just south of Inverness, is an epic, decades-long wild goose chase.

In the same drawer where I keep my travel adapters and portable charger, I have a foreign currency graveyard of sorts. A $5 bill from New Zealand. A £10 note from Scotland. Dozens of Canadian loonies and toonies.

Landscapes as green and lovely as everyone says. Literary giants in Dublin; Titanic history in Belfast. A pint and good craic in a traditional pub. The lure of Celtic legends.

There’s no such thing as the perfect time to visit Iceland as the weather is notoriously whimsical and the best season for your trip depends entirely on what you want to experience.

On Tuesday, sky-watchers will enjoy a vivid and shining beacon in the southeast sky: the second full supermoon of 2023. The Full Sturgeon Supermoon, named for the sturgeon fish that appear in the Great Lakes region in August, will reach its largest size at 2:32 p.m. ET,according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The lunar marvel will continue to appear exceptionally large and illuminated as it rises just after sunset.

There are so many majestic landscapes to view and things to do in Scotland that it can be hard to narrow down where to visit. So why not choose your hotels as a starting point? Scotland is known for its inclement weather, so choosing a hotel with spa facilities can be an excellent backup for something to do if the weather is terrible. It can also be a great way to soothe weary muscles and feet after all the hiking and sightseeing.

We’re proud to announce the winners of the 2017 SmarterTravel Editors’ Choice Awards. We spent six months and enlisted eight subject experts to select our Editors’ Choice winners, and then turned it over to you, our readers.