These 8 Colorful Carnivals Will Beat The Midwinter Blues

The city of Belo Horizonte is little known outside Brazil. Despite being a state capital and Brazil's sixth-largest city, Beagá, as locals affectionately call it, doesn't have beautiful beaches or colonial architecture to help put it on the map. Until recently, the city didn't even participate in Brazil's much-anticipated carnival season.

The Tenerife Carnival now has its 2024 queen. Corina Mrazek González was crowned as the Tenerife Carnival Queen thanks to her visual costume, “El Mundo” (The World), in a thrilling gala in Santa Cruz, the island’s capital, attended by over 4,700 guests. One of the highlights of the annual Tenerife Carnival is the Carnival Queen Election Gala, a prestigious title awarded to the woman with the most stunning and creative costume. Candidates wear costumes that can reach more than 5 metres in height and over 80kg in weight.

With towering peaks and pristine waters, the diverse landscapes in Japan are nature’s playground for adventure travelers. Throughout the year, outdoor enthusiasts flock to Kyushu and Central Japan, drawn by the opportunity to trek through the breathtaking, ever-changing terrain, paddle the crystal-clear oceans and rivers, and delve into the lesser-known pages of Japanese history. Whether you’re an experienced thrill seeker or a newbie enthusiast, these four destinations offer a wide variety of activities—from kayaking to cycling—that will get your heart pumping.

Think of the word Portugal and, immediately, vibrant colors spring to mind: the gorgeous tones of terracotta roofs set against paper-white façades; marigold yellow cable cars and warm gray cobblestone streets; the Atlantic glittering on the horizon of coastal cities. The country offers scenes and vistas for every kind of traveler, but there's something special about having the beauty of such a place captured and curated by an expert artist with a trained eye—and that's exactly what the photographer, writer, and Condé Nast Traveler contributor Christine Chitnis has done in her new book Patterns of Portugal: A Journey Through Colors, History, Tiles & Architecture, out February 6.

Spirit Airlines has been flying to Cancun for two decades, and is celebrating the milestone with an anniversary sale that has flights starting at just $79.

Flying with kids can be a stressful experience. But some airlines make the process easier by welcoming families with special comforts and conveniences. While it’s not always a given in the United States, most international airlines still offer early boarding for families with small children. Globally, on long-haul flights, most full-service airlines (versus a low-cost or charter airline) offer bassinets for infants, kids’ meals, and a kid-friendly category on the in-flight entertainment screen—at a minimum. For families looking for the smoothest in-flight experience, we’ve rounded up the airlines that offer the best services and amenities for people traveling with kids.

American Airlines now offers nonstop service to Eleuthera — an island touted as the best-kept secret in the Bahamas by Travel + Leisure.  

With its glittering seas, colorful harbors and beaches filled with primary bright umbrellas, the French Riviera is a visual treat most everywhere you look. For an even more vivid mise en scène, head to the Côte d’Azur in spring, when this ribbon of revered coastline hosts numerous spring festivals, and towns pull out the stops to celebrate a cherished local bloom or fruit.

A major draw of being in New Orleans during the weeks of Mardi Gras parades—now underway ending with the Big Day on February 13th-is, naturally, sampling the restaurants in the city. But for those who can’t make it to the Big Easy during this stretch, or simply miss it and want to relive the dining experiences at home, it’s easy to get signature dishes from some of the city’s most famous eateries and bakeries shipped to points around the U.S. Various New Orleans establishments have partnered with Goldbelly and the shipments arrive in refrigerated or frozen form with instructions on how to defrost and heat them, bringing them close to on site restaurant form. (When scanning the city’s offerings, though, be warned that they’re not always grouped together. Type “New Orleans” and keep scrolling; other cities may be mixed in.)

TikTok may have helped make destinations like Lake Bled in Slovenia and overcrowded nightmare, but the video sharing site has also given us an off-beat alternative: destination dupes. These are places with a similar aesthetic and attractions to the honeypot spot but with fewer crowds.

Experience an alternative side to the Algarve, a region full of history, beautiful coastlines and culinary experiences with these new off-the beaten -track adventures. This southernmost region of mainland Portugal is one of the most-visited summer destinations but to experience the best of what it has to offer, visit in Spring or Autumn and leave the tourist trails and beaches, for jaw-dropping and unforgettable moments.

Thumping with a million mini heartbeats, the jungle never sleeps. Insects hum, monkeys squeal and birds trill to create a rapturous symphony. But in the humid equatorial rainforests, almost everyone needs a rest by midday.