In a shift in global mobility rankings, Singapore has claimed the top spot in the 2024 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday, granting its citizens visa-free access to 195 countries.
13.07.2024 - 02:03 / cntraveler.com
Belfast: city of riveters, inventors, linen mill girls, boxers, pamphleteers, revolutionaries, Lambeg drummers, Irish bagpipers, mission hall preachers, and mustachioed burghers with pocket watches. Some of these can still be seen, here and there, usually in ghostly form. Now you are more likely to find cocktail creators, urban farmers, NGO officials, tech specialists, muralists, political tour guides, ravers, and Irish-language teachers.
Chefs preparing for service in the Muddlers Club Restaurant kitchen.
The city takes its name from the Irish Béal, or mouth, and Feirste, referring to the confluence of the rivers Farset and Lagan, which flow into Belfast Lough and out into the Irish Sea. It’s flat like a coin. Intensely green hills rise around it. One of them, Cavehill, is said to have appeared as a recumbent giant to Jonathan Swift.
Belfast boomed spectacularly in the 19th century. Great fortunes were made from linen spinning, distilling, printing, rope making, and shipbuilding. Its face was inclined to be dour and imposing, a Victorian riposte to rose-bricked, frivolous, Georgian Dublin. Tight neighborhoods of half doors, street songs, and factory horns grew roots around mills and shipyards: Sailortown, Tiger’s Bay, Sandy Row, The Hammer, the Pound Loney, the Kashmir. Consonant-rich words such as gurn, glyp, stumer, and skite were coined. It might be like any number of British industrial cities, except that it is on a different island and experienced 30 years of violent conflict.
The front façade of Belfast City Hall.
I first saw it in 1982. It was a monochrome scene. The center was caged and checkpointed. Shops were bombsites, and pods of soldiers moved along the Falls Road with rifles. Watchtowers loomed. Saracens sped. Helicopters panted above. The Europa had the distinction of being the most bombed hotel in Europe. Tourism was minimal to nonexistent. A taxi driver in a battered Ford Cortina hopefully handed me his card: “Tours – Scenic and Political.”
Then, in 1998, came the Good Friday Agreement. The British Army stepped back and eventually left. Loyalists and the IRA ceased their campaigns. Union Jacks and Irish tricolors were waved. Van Morrison sang, “My mama told me there’ll be days like this.” The city seemed to exhale collectively, to begin to talk more openly, to be curious about those it had shunned, like a family—suddenly relieved of a rancorous secret.
The front entrance of Bittles Bar.
I’ve been to Belfast many times, but always fleetingly. I came back for the Agreement’s 25th anniversary, over bright early April days, in the role of a tourist. It surprised me. Many presuppositions were upended. I hadn’t expected the abundance of music, the sumptuousness and originality of the
In a shift in global mobility rankings, Singapore has claimed the top spot in the 2024 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday, granting its citizens visa-free access to 195 countries.
Balmoral Castle's 167 rooms and lavish grounds have long been kept away from the prying eyes of the public, but for the first time in history, the royal property is now open to visitors.
Despite rising airfares, there are plenty of last-minute deals for a European summer getaway. JetBlue recently announced the «Overseas the Day» fare sale, which provides discounted fares to Europe for as low as $299 one-way from either Boston Logan International Airport or New York's JFK Airport. Best of all, the fare sale includes discounts on JetBlue's highly beloved Mint cabin, which is the airline’s version of business class and includes a lie-flat bed and additional amenities. Travelers can purchase deals including one-way flights to Dublin, Ireland for as low as $299 in Main Cabin or $1,299 in Mint. Those looking to explore the United Kingdom can fly to London-Gatwick Airport for $379 in Main Cabin or $1,299 in Mint. The airline is also offering discounted one-way fares to Paris for $379 in Main Cabin or $1,299 in Mint. The fare sale ends on July 20, 2024 at 11:59 PM, EST, for travel from July 28 through September 30. The airline advises that some days may not be available due to capacity or restricted travel dates. As a price comparison, during a non-sale period, a one-way JFK to LGW flight can cost as much as $1,138 in Main Cabin or $2,233 in Mint, based on pricing from JetBlue's website. While the Mint cabin provides tons of amenities, passengers in the Main Cabin are treated with extra legroom, and a 10" TV that has a variety of power ports including USB-A, USB-C, and AC (standard outlet). Passengers in the Main Cabin also get a complimentary blanket, and a curated menu from New York's Dig restaurant chain. JetBlue has been on the move with enhancements to help passengers during a busy summer travel season. The airline recently updated its baggage policy for basic economy, by allowing passengers to bring a free carry-on. The airline also introduced new service to Dublin and Edinburgh.
It just got easier to visit the «world’s greatest open-air museum.» Luxor, Egypt is known for its massive historical temples, the nearby Valley of the Kings, stone statues, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Now, thanks to a newly introduced flight route from low-cost carrier easyJet, travelers to the region will have direct access from London's Gatwick airport.
Travel is, for many of us, a distinctly rewarding experience—yet it comes at a price. Sky-high flight costs, accommodation costs, and overpriced restaurants can make budgeting seem impossible, and suddenly, booking that trip quickly becomes daunting instead of exciting. While we can’t promise your dream getaway will ever be a bargain, our editors have picked up a few tips and tricks during their years of traveling for cutting costs. Travel is for making memories, so it is important to carefully plan your spending to make the most out of your trip. Here is how to stretch every penny with the golden rules of affordable travel our editors swear by.
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Jul 17, 2024 • 3 min read
A British Airways Airbus A380 had to turn around after an "overpowering scent" of laundry detergent filled the plane, making people feel sick and dizzy, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said.
Jul 16, 2024 • 7 min read
Visiting the tropical island of Fiji may soon be easier, and faster for travelers from the Lone Star State. Fiji Airways recently filed a request to operate a new route connecting Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Fiji. Representatives for the airline filed the request on July 10 with the Department of Transportation to operate the direct flight on an Airbus A350-900 which can accommodate 334 passengers.
For aviation fans drawn to the Jet Age of the 1950s and 1960s, few things crystallize its allure more than Pan Am.
dnata Travel, the UAE’s longest serving travel provider, is reporting a 35% increase in bookings for international travel across July and August 2024, compared to the same timings last year. As one of the busiest weekends forecasted for travel fast approaches, the travel agency is supporting thousands of travellers with pre-booked itineraries and last-minute requests across its multiple channels, including 14 retail outlets across the country.