What Is a Bay Leaf, Exactly?

The view across Hanalei Bay to rugged Mount Makana and the Emerald Mountains is so soothing, draped in fog in the mornings and in grades of magenta after sunset, that just looking at it from 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay could be a wellness experience on its own. But there’s a lot more at this hotel which opened in February in Princeville on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i. A new program, Within Wellness, was just introduced as a comprehensive, integrated plan, establishing this already tranquil place as a serious option for real rejuvenation.

In our A Total Trip series, writers document what they spent on a recent getaway. In this edition, writer Amy Mulvaney shows how much a weekend of dining, sightseeing and vintage shopping cost her in Barcelona, Spain.

Liesbet Collaert was about to blow up her life.

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

As of September 1, travelers visiting Jamaica are being required to complete the country's Immigration and Customs Declaration or C5 form ahead of time online or using paper upon arrival.They can do so ahead of their trip for free by visiting EnterJamaica.com. Barcode readers will be available upon arrival at the airport in Jamaica.

Porto, a coastal city in the northwest of Portugal, has long been relegated to Lisbon’s shadow, but it’s finally commanding global attention for its culinary offerings. 

When locals in the charming Austrian lakeside village of Hallstatt staged a blockade of the main access tunnel, brandishing placards asking visitors to ‘think of the children’, it highlighted what can happen when places start to feel overrun by tourists. Hallstatt has just 800 residents but has opened its doors to around 10,000 visitors a day — a population increase of over 1,000%. And it’s just one of a growing number of places where residents are up in arms at the influx of travellers.

Amsterdam has dominated cannabis tourism for 40 years, but now it’s stepping back from this multibillion-dollar industry, creating opportunities for emerging marijuana destinations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. New rules in the Dutch city’s central tourist area limit alcohol sales, require bars to close earlier, and impose a €100 ($107) fine for public marijuana smoking.

A section of the Great Wall in China was severely damaged after construction workers dug out a large gap as a shortcut to get their equipment through.

Following two flat months, Hillsborough County’s hospitality industry saw a large surge in growth in July according to the latest reports from STR, Inc. July’s hotel revenues were up 13.8% while occupancy increased by 3.4% to 70.4%, average daily rate (ADR) up 11.5% to $143.55 and RevPAR up 15.3% to $101.08.  July tourist development tax collections for Hillsborough County, which reflect June collections, came in at $4,347,279, bringing the total collection for the fiscal year to $56,732,408. Total taxable hotel revenue through June has reached more than $900 million for the fiscal year-to-date indicating that Hillsborough County will surpass $1 billion for the second continuous fiscal year.

Imagine blocks of ice floating past as you come face-to-face with an imposing blue-tinted glacial wall. A puffin’s zany flight path draws your eye, before you spot the distinctive white bulge of a beluga whale breaking the water.

When it comes to classical French cuisine that Americans might initially cause us to turn up our noses, frog legs, which have a long history as a loved source of protein, likely tops the list. Recipes for frog legs, known as cuisses de grenouille in French, likely originated in southern China, but it was the French who elevated frog legs to the status of a national delicacy in Western cultures. It’s believed that resourceful monks in the 12th century, who were restricted from eating meat, turned to frog legs as a substitute protein source. Over time, this practice gained popularity and became ingrained in the French culinary tradition.