Southern tips

Moving abroad was freeing at first, as if I'd finally gotten out of a relationship that just wasn't working.

Embarking on a trip to Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Vista, just north of San Diego, feels like visiting a French Provencal-style retreat. It’s nestled into 500 acres of scenic rolling California hillside like a well-being-focused cocoon, hidden away from the stresses of city life – and that’s its entire mission.

National park accommodations generally fall into a few basic categories: camping, glamping, inns or lodges, and hotels. Some national parks also come with a homier option: Airbnbs. Take Canyonlands National Park. Roughly 30 minutes outside of the well-loved desert town of Moab, Utah, Canyonlands is one national park that’s situated in close proximity to quite a few impressive Airbnbs. Sure, you could easily find a nice hotel near Canyonlands National Park, but why not pick the Canyonlands National Park Airbnb that best suits your style — from quintessential cabins, to private yurts, to large and luxurious rentals that can fit the whole family.

Spring has reached central Romania. The little dwelling is half-hidden by pear blossom and lilac trees. A well can be seen in the garden, sunlight patches the long grass and the wolf-prowled hills beyond. The house has a neat timber balcony and a frieze of blue flowers at the eaves, but the plasterwork is crumbling. For over seven decades, this was the home of anti-communist activist Elisabeta Rizea, who died in 2003, aged 91. It now stands empty, looking out across the elder woods and hay meadows. 

The saying goes, "West Coast, best coast," for a reason.

Cusco might be just a short flight south from Peru’s capital of Lima, but you’ll feel as if you traveled centuries back in time.

Hugging the Andes mountains, Southern Peru continues to celebrate its age-old customs and traditions. Cities like Cusco, Puno and Arequipa proudly preserve ancient festivals and culinary techniques (think masked paraders paying homage to the Sun God and ceramic pots stacked on wood-fired ovens), making each an extraordinary destination for travelers craving authentic experiences.

Born in Southern California and then lured back after college, I've spent more than a decade here — first southeast of Los Angeles and now northeast. I've traveled all across the region, down to the border of Mexico and up to San Francisco, journeying through our deserts, forests, beaches, and mountains.

Software developer Victor Varlamov logs in every morning to work on a sunny Spanish island off the coast of Africa after the prospect of steep heating bills and a winter made harsher by the Ukraine war drove him to leave his adoptive home in Poland.

Parts of Mexico’s remote southern jungles have barely changed since the time of the ancient Maya.

After three years of pandemic travel restrictions and rocketing energy costs, tourism is back with a vengeance to boost the economies of southern Europe as sun-seekers make up for lost time.

Look closely, and the forest reveals itself as a playground. A brook appears from between dense branches, blanketed white by mats of water-crowfoot flowers: a pool for two basking turtles, a slide for hundreds of pond skaters. Above a bush of wild mint, dragon- and damselflies court in a waltz of wings, while a nightingale warbles in the canopy. We rock hop to the other bank. “It’s a paradise for everyone,” says guide Francisco Simões as we hike on. 

The weather-beaten curves of a battered stone wall guide me out of Langholm, an idyllic old textile town tucked between the hills of the Esk valley, eight miles north of the English border.

Whether you’re planning to visit Austin for the music, the food, the outdoor activities, or the welcoming hospitality of Austinites, Texas’ capital has a superb range of accommodation options to choose from. Hotels here are as diverse and warmhearted as the city itself. From luxury high-rise properties with sweeping city views in downtown to charming boutique accommodations in hip neighborhoods like East Austin or South Congress, there’s something to suit all. Airbnbs in Austin include some of the best in the state and offer groups space and the comforts of a home. But if you’d prefer the amenities and service of a hotel, here are the top Austin hotels ranked exceptional for service, location, amenities, and character.

The Carretera Austral – Chile’s Southern Highway – begins nowhere and leads nowhere. Over 1000km in length, it was hewn and blasted through the wettest, greenest and narrowest part of the country. This sliver of Patagonia is a majestic land of snowcapped volcanoes, Ice Age glaciers, emerald fjords, turquoise lakes and jade-coloured rivers, set among lush temperate forest where giant trees seem to drip with rain the whole year long. The Carretera was built with the very purpose of settling this damp, secluded sliver of territory, but the only way to reach it from the rest of Chile is by boat or plane or overland from Argentina. Few roads can feel more remote.

While researching the new Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma) , Jo James discovered the Tanintharyi Division – a blissful corner of the country that has only recently opened up to travellers.

Brazil’s booming southern states – Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul – are often strangely absent on tourist itineraries of the country. The cities of Curitiba and Porto Alegre will host 2014 FIFA World Cup matches, and the region is already a huge draw for Brazilian, Argentine and Uruguayan tourists. Yet it can be a hard sell for European and North American travellers – it lacks the glamour of Rio but often sports the same prices thanks to the booming economy. After an obligatory pilgrimage to the mighty Iguazu Falls most Western travellers simply move on. So what makes those sudamericanos stick around? Here’s ten reasons I can think of immediately…

The Cammino Basiliano® runs north–south for nearly 1400 kilometres (1390 to be exact) across Calabria in southern Italy. This gorgeous region, occupying the “toe” of Italy’s boot, is famed for its dramatic landscapes. Sure enough, the trail laces its way through rugged mountains, traditional villages, plunging valleys and along a spellbinding coastline. It follows in the footsteps of the Basilian monks, a Greco-Italian order that followed the teachings of St Basil. 

Vast, varied and connected by miles of open road, the American South is the ideal setting for an unforgettable culinary tour. Sweeping from the mountains of Appalachia down to the swamps of Louisiana, it’s the home of treasured traditions and constant innovation. It’s where barbecue is ubiquitous, yet where cuts and sauces are fiercely regional. And it’s where history, culture and identity intertwine with the local flavours and ingredients like nowhere else. So, from hot chicken in Nashville to the tamales of the Mississippi Delta, come and get a taste of the Southern states.