In some parts of Europe, high prices and Christmas markets go hand in hand. But in others, this year’s soaring costs have come as a shock.
27.11.2023 - 14:03 / cntraveler.com / Juliet Kinsman
How to Travel Better is a new monthly column with Condé Nast Traveler’s sustainability editor Juliet Kinsman. In this series, Juliet introduces us to the sustainability heroes she meets, signposts the experiences that are enhancing our world, and shares the little and big ways we can all travel better.
Sitting sentry in an open-top truck next to a waterhole in Kenya’s Masai Mara, Charity Cheruiyot passes me her binoculars to steal a closer look at a hippopotamus hiding under the brown water. An occasional flicker of nostrils is our only clue to its whereabouts. Finally, a little wriggle and some ripples reveal a tiny calf there, too. It’s always worth the wait. The same can be said of the anticipation for this long-time-in-the-planning safari escape to one of the most talked-about wilderness reserves in the world.
Fernweh is the German word for those deep pangs for far-off places. As we daydream about our next adventure, it’s a "farsickness" version of homesickness. The fernweh had flowed in the run-up to my stay at andBeyond Bateleur Camp. When I finally visit however, it was far from the only thing on my mind.
I’m here off-season, so I know to expect fewer animals compared to the epic images of the Great Migration, when herds of wildebeest move south from Tanzania’s Serengeti. But it is sobering to learn from experts at the camp that the peak numbers making the 2,000-mile crossing may have dropped by 90 percent since the 1970s. In Kenya, there used to be four wildebeest migrations comprising millions of animals; now, there’s only one movement of maybe a couple of hundred thousand.
Our climate in flux has meant more droughts and more flooding everywhere. Faltering weather and extended dry periods mean animals can no longer live in sync with the seasons. In many parts of East Africa, you can add deforestation—and loss of habitat—from population growth into the mix. It’s getting harder to reconcile a conscience for planetary health with a deepening guilt about gallivanting and a desire to explore more of our world.
Fernweh is the German word for those deep pangs for far-off places. As we daydream about our next adventure, it’s a "farsickness" version of homesickness.
There's a word for that, too. Solastalgia denotes that very sentiment that’s sharply at odds with my wanderlust. Coined in 2003 by the philosopher Glenn Albrecht, it stands for a climate-conscious yearning for a blissful bygone time when we weren’t all worrying about the world’s weather. A portmanteau of the words "solace" and “nostalgia,” it represents a wish not to be weighed down by the woes of humanity’s impact on the environment.
As I exchange my concerns about the changing landscapes with Charity, the region’s first female ranger, it
In some parts of Europe, high prices and Christmas markets go hand in hand. But in others, this year’s soaring costs have come as a shock.
If you have your eyes set on island-hopping throughout the Lamu Archipelago or venturing on some of the most thrilling wildlife safaris in the New Year, we have good news for you: travel to Kenya is about to get a little bit easier.
Visitors to Kenya will no longer need a visa to enter the East African nation starting in January, President William Ruto announced on Tuesday.
Europe is home to 63 of the top 100 city destinations in the world, according to a new ranking.
Global market research company Euromonitor International has released its annual rankings of city destinations based on tourism, sustainability and economic performance. Europe dominates the field. Paris was crowned the most attractive city destination in the world in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, with seven European destinations landing in the top 10 and the continent owning 63 spots in the top 100 overall. Nadejda Popova, Senior Manager (Loyalty) at Euromonitor International, said: “Paris has retained the title of the world's leading city following exceptional performance across the Tourism Policy and Attractiveness, Tourism Infrastructure and Tourism Performance pillars.” Paris was followed by Dubai in second place, Madrid in third, Tokyo in fourth and Amsterdam in fifth. The top 10 was rounded out by Berlin (6), Rome (7), New York (8), Barcleona (9) and London (10).
In a move aimed at boosting tourism and the economy, Indonesia is exploring the possibility of offering visa-free entry to Indians along with 19 other countries, including the U.S., China, Australia, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and France.
Travelers flying to Europe on Air Canada can now seamlessly book trains to their onward destinations thanks to the carrier’s new air-to-rail program.
Europe, especially Germany, is rightly famed for its Christmas markets that bring a fairy tale sense of wonder to the season. But you don’t have to journey abroad for holiday magic—these fairs in the United States showcase European-style festivities while celebrating their cities’ cultural heritage.
The season of mittens and hot chocolate is upon us and if you’d rather spend a tranquil afternoon beside a fire than brave the crowds at a big ski resort, these snowy getaways are for you. Picture yourself in a luxury treehouse in the woodlands of Vermont, or a quiet cottage in the Catskills, or a retro motor lodge near Grand Teton National Park. Consider a new boutique hotel in Rhode Island from which you can tour Gilded Age mansions trimmed for the holidays. Or check into a statelynewcomer in Germany and browse Christmas markets in places you thought existed only in fairy tales. From Bavaria to Wyoming, winter wonderlands await.
Las Vegas travelers are a $3 billion step closer to speeding through the Mojave Desert on a high-speed train linking Sin City with Southern California.
Europe’s airports are regularly ranked from best to worst to help travellers make informed choices.
United Airlines is launching a new route next year from San Francisco to Barcelona, making it easier to get to the popular European city in time for summer.