Celebrity tips

Watching the salmon run in Tsútswecw Provincial Park is bucket list worthy and tourists flock from around the world to witness this magnificent natural event. Tsútswecw Park (formerly Roderick Haig-Brown) comes from the indigenous word “Tsútswecw” (pronounced choo-chwek) and translates to ‘many rivers.’ Tsútswecw Park is located on both sides of the Adams River between Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake. It’s northeast of Kamloops and northwest of Salmon Arm in Canada’s westernmost province, beautiful British Columbia.

Picture a Disney experience where you are whisked from ride to ride through secret, behind-the-scenes roads. Imagine embarking on a private Wild African Trek or relishing the Indiana Jones stunt spectacular, followed by an exquisite dinner on the set. This was just a part of a lavish $50,000 Disney itinerary masterfully arranged by Jonathan Alder, the seasoned CEO of luxury travel agency Jonathan's Travels.

Over-tourism remains an ongoing headache for Venice, and there are few times of the year you won’t come up against flocks of tourists (even on a cold and rainy day in late February, I found the top of the Rialto Bridge crowded), but off-season travel is unquestionably a gentler, more beneficial time to visit the city. Here are eight things to check out if you’re heading to La Serenissima this fall and winter.

There’s more to Los Angeles than the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. The City of Angels boasts an array of hiking trails that offer something for everyone from first-timers to experienced hikers.

Six weeks after my first trip to Italy, the fresh mozzarella I brought home is long gone, and so is the hard salami and pistachio-flavored chocolate. To squeeze a bit more from my Mediterranean experience, I can rely a little while longer on the tube of Elmex-brand toothpaste I used to brush away all that food. For as long as it lasts, each day starts and ends with an ingredient called “Fluoruro Amminico,” which I assume has to do with fluoride but haven’t bothered to translate. The lingering sense of wonder it evokes is something I would rather not name.

Oahu’s North Shore is famous for its legendary surfers and its giant waves. I’ve been there several times, and it’s awe-inspiring to see all the surfers shredding in the water.

Joe Ranzenbach and Jennifer Choi were one of those couples who had their destination wedding vision set within hours of Joe’s April 2022 proposal, which took place on a catamaran in the Adriatic Sea. “We had no idea we wanted a destination wedding until we got engaged in Santorini. We just fell in love with the place,” says Jen, who also spent childhood trips going to Greece. Basking in the glow of their betrothal—and those postcard-famous sunsets—the couple wanted their friends to experience the island, too, and had decided before the trip was over that they’d return there for their nuptials. Jen and her family have a special connection to the Mediterranean nation: The bride’s late grandfather had once been the South Korean ambassador to Greece, so her mother had spent years there.

While the Caribbean is home to its fair share of wildlife-filled islands—Saint Lucia, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, to name a few—one of the region’s most underrated ecotourism destinations measures in at just a mere thirteen square kilometers in area. Known as Saba, this dazzling Dutch overseas region holds a king-sized level of biodiversity in spite of its small size, packed full of fascinating fish, reptiles, and birds for visitors to marvel at—and when it comes to avian life in particular, the Saba Bird Fest is one of the island’s most unmissable events.

The flamingo-pink towers at Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas are instantly recognisable. If you didn’t need your sunglasses to shield you from the Caribbean sun, then you definitely need them when gazing up at the pink structure, the turquoise sea a kaleidoscopic clash beyond.

Great golf? That’s just the tip of the inspired iceberg at the world-famous Gleaneagles resort.

“Fire Island is a very special place, especially for queer people,” Jimi Urquiaga, a.k.a. Missleidy Rodriguez, told me. While that might seem like a statement of the obvious, Urquiaga has experienced the island from an atypical vantage point: for the past two summers, they've been packing up their life in New York City as a costume designer, producer, creative director and drag queen to come work at the Pines’ plant shop, CAMP. Urquiaga called me on their break, sitting behind a desk at the plant shop, with a view overlooking the bay. “So that’s the fantasy,” they said with a laugh after describing their surroundings.

From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood outside the front door.

From the surf beaches of the Pacific coast and the snow-capped peaks of the Andes to the Galapagos Islands and the humid Amazon Basin, Ecuador serves up epic travel experiences in every season and all in an area only slightly larger than Colorado.

This September 26, something exciting is brewing at the Ritz Paris. The celebrated hotel is about to unveil its brand-new fine-dining restaurant, Espadon, with Chef Eugénie Béziat at the helm. It's a big deal because Béziat is breaking the mold as the Ritz's first-ever female chef. Yes, you heard it right, and she's ready to bring her unique flair to the table.

Ontario, Canada's second largest province, is home to charming small towns, gorgeous landscapes, vibrant multiculturalism, parks, nature trails, and plenty of ways to celebrate autumn. From apples to pumpkins and cranberries to garlic, Ontario is packed with fun, spooky, and delicious ways to celebrate the fall harvest. Whether you are looking to load up on veggies from farmers markets, pick your own right from the earth, scare your bestie at ghostly Halloween events, or have a magical family day among glowing pumpkins, these five Ontario attractions will keep you busy all season long.

Ever wanted to wade into a cranberry bog? No need to audition for an Ocean Spray commercial—you can immerse yourself in a sea of burgundy berries by taking a cranberry bog tour. The best time to visit is during the cranberry harvest season, which typically occurs from mid-September through mid-November.

Awe-inspiring backdrops, difficult yacht charter guests and cruise crew drama have fueled one of TV's most popular reality shows. Since "Below Deck" premiered on Bravo in 2013, it's spawned a number of spinoffs, beginning with the popular "Below Deck Mediterranean" series, which premiered in 2016.

There’s really no wrong time of year to visit Mexico City.

Rockers from Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver to Tori Amos and Billy Gibbons have all been lucky enough to turn around and see drummer Matt Sorum behind them on stage keeping the rhythm going. In the second part of my interview I spoke with Sorum about his healing work with the Raven Drum Foundation , how you get backstage at a Rolling Stones concert and a rock star move anyone can pull at a bar.

A luxurious escape to paradise just got easier thanks to a new flight and a discount at the Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman. 

Secret Obsessions is Atlas Obscura’s column where we ask wondrous people to take us down a rabbit hole. This edition features chart-topping pop duo Aly & AJ—sisters Aly and AJ Michalka.