These Luxurious Caribbean Villas Are Ideal For Large Gatherings

Although it’s still technically summer for another month, JetBlue has us already dreaming about fall. The carrier announced its “Big Fall Sale” today, with fares as low as $39 one way. But you’ll have to hurry—the discounted fares are only available until the end of Thursday, August 24.

The first cabin constructed in Kerlingarfjöll, a mountain range in central Iceland bracketed by two glaciers and threaded with geothermal steam, was completed in 1937 and gave hikers a launchpad from which to wander the otherworldly landscape. Then, in the ’60s, a summer ski school and hostel operated on its slopes. The school is long gone, but the adventuring spirit remains, and now intrepid travelers have a sophisticated new place to stay. The hospitality company Blue Lagoon Family — responsible for the first luxury hotel at Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon — recently debuted Highland Base, a collection of accommodations that include that original cabin, seven salvaged rustic A-frames, six stand-alone lodges and a hotel with 46 rooms and two suites with their own hot tubs on private terraces. Picture windows in all of the rooms and lodges offer views of the surrounding terrain, which can be explored on foot in the summer and by snowmobile in winter. The hotel, about a three-hour drive from Reykjavík, will be open year round, though in the colder months visitors must hire a professional driver in a four-wheel-drive super jeep to reach the property, thanks to the unpaved highland roads. Once there, guests will find underground passageways connecting the hotel with the restaurant and thermal baths (scheduled to open this winter) to help them stay warm in between expeditions.

While there’s no shortage of culinary festivals, many are overshadowed by lackluster ticketed events, standoffish talent, and mobs of hungry guests—which is why celebrated chef Michael Mina launched Georgetown Wine & Dine last year. Since the event was received with such a positive response, it’s returning this fall on November 2 and 3 at Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, with proceeds benefitting the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

As the Carnival Sunrise sailed to Grand Cayman and Jamaica at the end of July, the outside temperature reached over 90 degrees. Inside, vacationers reported their cabins were uncomfortably, even dangerously, warm due to broken air conditioning — with some saying their rooms hovered above 80. 

It’s a milestone anniversary for a popular Caribbean island airline, and they are celebrating with deals for passengers.  Cayman Airways, the flagship airline carrier for the Cayman Islands, discounted several international flights to celebrate its 55 years in business. Some of the top flight deals as part of the promotion include:

Every year, a small suburban town called Twinsburg, Ohio hosts the Twins Days Festival — the largest gathering of twins in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Thompson Seattle has long been my go-to hotel in downtown Seattle, just steps away from Pike’s Place Market and with an excellent restaurant (Conversation Kitchen & Bar), and a spectacular 4,500-square-foot rooftop bar (The Nest) from which you can survey the city’s iconic PNW landscape. This luxury boutique hotel has upped its own ante with the opening of two new 1,000 square-foot penthouse suites that have unparalleled views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from the 12th floor and are decked out with local artwork and other design touches.

Every year, retired cruise ships are sold to ship-breaking yards in Turkey and India where thousands of workers painstakingly dismantle the massive vessels and sell their parts for scrap. 

Vibrant, culturally rich and visually stunning – the islands of the Caribbean are like nowhere else on Earth. From cocktails to coral reefs, hiking to heritage, they offer something for all tastes and tempos. Here are seven unmissable highlights of the Caribbean.

When you think of the Caribbean, the first things that come to mind are most likely turquoise waters, relaxed vibes and swaying palm trees. But there’s a lot more to a trip to this part of the world than lazing around on a sunlounger, taking in the views and sipping exotic cocktails. The Caribbean offers a huge variety of other tempting activities, from windsurfing and waterskiing, to scuba diving and snorkelling to see some of the most beautiful, vividly coloured coral reefs imaginable. Here are a few of the must-try activities you can enjoy.

With its white-sand beaches and sparkling turquoise seas framed by palm trees, lush greenery and soaring mountains, there could hardly be a more romantic destination than the Caribbean. Whether you want to snorkel with spectacular sea life, indulge in a moonlit dinner á deux, have your cares massaged away or lounge together in a private cabana, the Caribbean offers the ultimate idyllic couples’ escape.

The winner of the Super Bowl usually says they’re going to Disney World. But even the Magic Kingdom would have a hard time competing with the pomp and circumstance in the Bay Area during the week leading up to this year’s big game.