Waters tips

While Florida destinations like Miami and Palm Beach get most of the hype these days, don’t overlook Tampa on the state’s Gulf Coast. The growing mid-sized city exudes a polished ease that makes it a relaxed and inviting vacation spot.

Women are the key ingredient for the travel market, not only in the planning and preparation process for families but for actual travel itself. According to estimates, 64% of travelers worldwide are female, and women spent $125 billion on travel in 2023. As such, the hospitality industry actively targets the female market, often by offering special “girl getaways” packages for weekend excursions and longer. The following girl getaways are designed with luxury in mind.

Packing for a trip to a scorching hot destination requires more than just sunscreen and a big hat. Whether you're wandering the hot cobbles of Rome, bartering in the bustling markets of Marrakech, or simmering in the cool pools of tropical Miami, a smart packing list of breathable clothes, shoes, and accessories is crucial.

Katy Perry is the reigning queen of the Mediterranean. Come summer, you can count on the emergence of paparazzi pics depicting the pop star smooching fiancé Orlando Bloom in Sardinia, catching dinner after a day of yachting in Dubrovnik, and jetskiing with her daughter Daisy in Saint-Tropez. It’s no wonder Perry vacations so hard, given the relentless pace of her music career. Later this week, she’ll end a six-year stint as judge on American Idol, and she wrapped up her wildly popular Las Vegas residency a few months ago. On a recent episode of Idol, she teased a new single, and her next album is expected later this year.

When people profess their love of steam rooms and how relaxed they feel afterward, I nod along, knowing I’d prefer a freezing plunge. Sweat soaking, skin reddening, lungs struggling in the thick air — if I want to warm up, a nice spot on the beach will do just fine.

There are few things worse than getting sick while traveling.

A trio of tiny Indonesian islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air all share similar traits. They are each fringed by dreamy white sand beaches, are mercifully free of motorized transport and have excellent diving and snorkeling. Still, each has developed at a very different pace and has a distinctly different atmosphere.

The great outdoors are one step closer to being a points-earning paradise.

“The hotel is one of the most unique properties in the whole of the UK, “ says Gainsborough Bath Spa’s general manager, Marc Mac Closkey. The Dublin-born hotel manager is a natural raconteur, but he’s not putting a PR spin on what are the charms of the hotel, carved out of two Grade II listed buildings in the heart of Bath—it is genuinely one-of-a-kind.

The natural world is full of wonders, but is there anything more mesmerizing than swimming at night in a sea glowing with bioluminescence? Or spying on flickering fireflies in woodland as they dance through the air? 

Lonely Planet Destination Editor Amy Lynch traveled to Tampere, Finland – the sauna capital of the world – to discover what lies behind the Finnish passion for saunas. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip.

As I tucked into a bowl of wisp-thin Thai rice noodles studded with bok choy and sprinkled with fried garlic, all I could do was wax poetic about Buffalo wings.

Of all the ways to explore southern Germany this summer, the most memorable is not by train, bus or hire car but by boat. Lake Constance, nearly 40 times bigger than Windermere and two hours south-west of Munich by public transport, is a wonderful water world ringed by harbour towns, and it makes an idyllic break from the Bavarian capital.

Summer is on the way, meaning that the orcas are out to play near the Strait of Gibraltar — which is bad news for sailors.

Ross Clarke recently returned from Fuerteventura where he was researching for the upcoming Canary Islands guidebook (publishing November 2024). This is his ultimate guide to planning your holiday to Fuerteventura.

Steamy natural thermal water simmers beneath the surface throughout almost the whole Italian peninsula. It bubbles up above the ground in the form of hot springs across the country, creating heavenly hot pools and balmy baths.

ON THE COUNTER sits a bucket of tomatoes just picked from a tumble of fields halfway up a mountain in southern Italy. Concetta D’Aniello hands me an apron and we begin. I follow her lead, breaking into each tomato with my thumb, the flesh giving way. The smell of minerals fills the kitchen. Her husband, Sabato Abagnale, known as Sabatino — who grows and cans tomatoes, like his father before him — describes how the scent clings when you walk the fields in August. “Even when you shower, you can’t get rid of it,” he says. (We speak through an interpreter, Sandra Gambarotto.) It’s late October now and the end of harvest; these tomatoes are the stragglers, still dreaming of summer, sun-gorged and supersweet.

Be inspired to explore Europe by car this summer on one, or more, of these themed driving routes.

Have you ever gotten puffy on a flight? Air travel has plenty of side effects: jet lag, colds, and lack of sleep from crying children and rowdy passengers. If you’re a frequent flyer, it’s highly likely you’ve also experienced puffiness and swelling in your hands, ankles, and face at some point. That’s because air travel, particularly over extended durations, creates “cutaneous puffiness,” which is characterized by swelling or bloating of the skin, notably around the eyes and extremities.

Is your dad active? If so, your Father’s Day shopping just got easy. It doesn’t matter what Dad’s favorite activity is, hiking, cycling, diving, golf, skiing, tennis, whatever, if he travels to do it, there’s some piece of luggage that will make his life and his trips better. I’ve been traveling for sports for three decades, I’ve seen lots of innovation, I have personal experience with every brand here, and unlike many holiday gift guides, there are no commissions if you buy anything you see—but you can rest assured that they are proven, best-in-class picks worthy of a best-in-class Dad. These entries run a bit longer than other gift guides you’ll find online, because I really have reasons why I recommend these products, and I want you to know what you and Dad are getting for your hard-earned dollars.

Nestled between the intensely blue waters of the Ionian Sea and the stunning backdrop of the Peloponnese Mountains, Costa Navarino is steeped in history dating back thousands of years. This peninsula in southwest Greece, while ripe with its own Messinia heritage, is also just three hours from Athens, so it’s a haven for history and culture lovers.