These Airbnbs Give You a Cozy Escape Near Rio's Carnival Action

The traffic may be anarchic and there’s no citywide subway system, but Bogotá is still a relatively easy place to navigate.

Rosario Dawson’s latest film ‘ Haunted Mansion ’ is based on one of America’s most treasured amusement park rides, and she’s also starring in the new Star Wars series ‘ Ahsoka .’ But her real contribution to summer fun is her ‘ Margalicious Margarita ’ cocktail collaboration with Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens available through Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits . I spoke with Dawson about her first beer with her grandmother, what she loves about a Margarita and how you know when it’s time to put down the machete.

Carefree days lounging on the sand are a hallmark of an idyllic vacation for many travelers. But beaches themselves are a commodity, vulnerable to retreat that’s exacerbated by climate change. In fact, nearly half of the Earth’s sandy beaches could be extinct by 2100, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.

The chance to spot a bear, bison, or bald eagle in the wild is one of the major reasons travelers visit the United States’ 63 national parks. You might assume that a megafauna mecca like Yellowstone National Park would offer the best odds of seeing multiple animals. 

Earlier this week, the folks at NPR’s Here and Now asked us an intriguing question: How much would it cost to book a trip to the Rio Olympics right now? The answer, it turns out, may be a lot less than you might expect.

It’s no secret that it’s been a year of ups and downs—but one silver lining is the affordable travel possibilities it’s opened up for American travelers. Thanks to expanding air routes, a strong U.S. dollar, and tour companies catering to younger, more frugal tourists, the world is now more accessible than ever.

February in Rio de Janeiro is usually filled with anticipation of sequins and samba with the arrival of Carnaval, but this year the streets of Rio will be a little less flamboyant. The city has decided to cancel the planned celebrations for this year’s Carnaval, and they’re not the only ones. Cancellations have occurred across Brazil in 48 cities for a variety of reasons. Some cities have voted to spend resources fighting dengue fever and the Zika virus that have been spreading throughout the country. Some cities were forced to cancel due to the economic consequences of what has been one of the worst recessions in Brazil’s history. For Rio, we can assume it’s a combination of the two with the added pressure of hosting the looming Summer Olympics.

The new year may be right around the corner, but to foresee what it might have in store for travelers, it’s useful to take a look back. Some 2017 travel industry changes were short-lived—remember the infamous laptop ban that had business travelers in a furor for a few months? But other trends from travel 2017 could have a more lasting effect.

Every year, summertime brings new experiences and trends worth getting excited about. Whether it’s an ephemeral fidget spinner or the latest summer blockbuster, keeping up with fads is a fun way to remember the summer, especially when it comes to delicious and photogenic food trends.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2016 and was updated in December 2018. Please consult this article: Do You Still Need to Worry About the Zika Virus for 2019? for the latest info.

Top 10 lists are ubiquitous, especially in travel; it seems there’s one for everything. And when it comes to destinations, whether it’s a “most popular” or “up-and-coming” ranking, these lists tend to be a mix of well-known cities and semi-under-the-radar places. Unless you’re a Booking.com user planning 2020 travel, apparently.

It’s the opposite of a motorway. As I drive into the Cumeengeera Valley, scraggly summer hedgerows slap my wing mirrors. Punky tufts of grass on the boreen work like brushes, scrubbing the car’s undercarriage. The mountains around me make me feel the size a grain of rice in a giant green bowl.