Italy's tourism minister chastised misbehaving tourists after several incidents plagued the country this summer.
31.07.2023 - 16:27 / forbes.com
The sights, the sounds, the smells… Marrakech is swirling with enough sensory treats to pull you in and never let go. Between the bustling, motorcycle-flooded Medina market to the handfuls of relaxing spas and riads, here’s where to go for an equally thrilling and relaxing vacation.
Nestled into the top few floors of an unassuming side street in the Medina, Nomad boasts handfuls of delicious Moroccan and Italian fusions; it’s great for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, and offers gorgeous panoramic views of the surrounding souks and rooftops. We recommend booking a spot on the terrasse far in advance—while reservations are not required, you want to make sure you’re sitting outside to admire the views.
Note that Nomad—and the majority of restaurants in Morocco—do not serve alcohol. Because Morocco is a Muslim majority country, finding a glass of wine with dinner or even stumbling upon a mainstream bar is not common.
This coffee shop and restaurant in the middle of the Medina draws locals and travelers like moths to a flame— and for good reason. The main floor and terrasse remains super casual, and a great spot to people watch, while the rooftop level is a modern Moroccan restaurant. We recommend the vegetarian tagine, which is packed with potatoes, turnips, fennel, carrots, green beans, and onion— and will only run you about $6.
Quite possibly one of the most romantic restaurants in Marrakech (don’t even try booking for one, they literally won’t let you), Dar Yacout is a real institution, serving up traditional Moroccan fare in an intimate indoor-outdoor setting. Make sure it take it slow, and maybe even skip lunch, as the sheer amount of food is enough to feed you for a few days.
The main square in Marrakech is frequented by both locals and tourists, and although sometimes it can become overwhelming (watch out for snake charmers and other animal performers), it’s well worth a trip during the day—make sure to get a fresh orange juice—and at night, when the square shifts from a market to a centre for street performers and food stalls. It became a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001, to help preserve the storytelling and heritage performances that take place daily.
It might be tempting to head out to the Sahara Desert while you’re exploring Morocco, but if you’re only in the country for a few days, consider skipping the eight-hour commute and head out to the Agafay Desert instead. You’ll still get the bedouins, free range camels, and endless desert landscape, but it’s only a forty minute drive from the city centre. Check into a glamping resort, (we particularly like the White Camel Lodge & Tents for its sustainability efforts), and take in all the vastness
Italy's tourism minister chastised misbehaving tourists after several incidents plagued the country this summer.
Jeff Bezos was recently snapped with fiancée Lauren Sanchez, singers Katy Perry and Usher, actor Orlando Bloom, and socialite and influencer Derek Blasberg vacationing in Dubrovnik, a coastal city in Croatia.
The aristocracy of Switzerland began acquiring a taste for the Swiss Alps as early as the 1760s. Lucerne—a small fishing village at the foothills of the Alps, with its temperate climate and easy access by road and rail—made the perfect launching pad for hiking and mountaineering. By 1835, the first hotel opened in Lucerne and the city soon grew into one of the largest tourist destinations in the country. In 1903, Swiss entrepreneur Franz Josef Bucher purchased a plot of land on the north shore of Lake Lucerne for $900,000 Swiss francs. After a three-year construction, Palace Hotel Luzern opened its doors, setting a new standard of luxury for hospitality, not just in Switzerland, but in Europe at large.
On a scorching June day on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Chloe Madison and her boyfriend, Colin Pinello, stopped to have lunch in Positano, a glamorous town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
When downtown rents dropped because of the pandemic, lots of ambitious shops, cafes and restaurants ended up launching as a result. There’s a real sense of revitalisation in the city.
Travel has gotten weird. First, nobody did it for a couple of years. Then everybody did it at once and airports fell apart. “Revenge travel,” became a thing. Airports mostly figured out how to keep track of luggage, and people kept going places—too often the same ones. Major cities across Europe have enacted anti-tourism policies.
Among the many wonderful things about Greece is that everyone has a favorite island—and everyone is right. For veteran Forbes travel contributor Jim Dobson, that magical isle is Sifnos. Reachable by ferry from Athens in a little over two hours, Sifnos has beautiful beaches, numerous hiking trails along the Aegean Sea and a remarkable 237 churches. Here’s where to eat, stay and play on Sifnos.
As a family sat vigil over a coffin containing the body of an elderly relative, the wooded hills around their apartment building in Palermo burned from wildfires. Winds blew the blazes closer, torching cars, dumpsters, sheds and electricity poles. Then the flames licked the apartment building, forcing its inhabitants to flee.
Royal Caribbean already operates the world’s largest cruise ship—Wonder of the Seas—but next January it will break that record with Icon of the Seas, which boasts 2,805 staterooms (including more than 1,800 with balconies) and 179 suites. Nearly 1,200 feet long, Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and features a 55-foot-waterfall, multiple pools and waterparks and a “chill island” and a “thrill island”—depending on a passenger’s vibe.
Travel website, Trippy, has put together an awesome infographic showing prices for food, beer, taxis, and hotels in the most and least expensive countries. And the best part is that it updates daily, so you can see the average price of something when you’re planning a trip or once you’re in the destination.
Getting old has few benefits, but the occasional senior travel discount is one of them. Senior travelers can enjoy a wide range of discounts, but both availability and value vary substantially among different travel sectors and in different parts of the globe.
If you’re looking to find the least expensive accommodations in a destination regardless of what kind of accommodation it is, you might be surprised to learn that Airbnb isn’t always the cheapest. A new study from Compare the Market shows that hotels can sometimes beat Airbnb prices. The study covered the average Airbnb vs. hotel rates (per night) in 52 important destinations around the world.