Wellness travel meets horses at a particular subset of guest ranches, which focus on eco-experiences where you will be inspired to heal yourself and the planet, activities such as "wild yoga," and of course exhilarating horseback rides powered by Mother Nature. If this appeals to you, here are ten wonderful ranches to consider in the United States and Canada:
Triple Creek Resort Ranch, Montana
This 30,000-acre Relais & Château retreat has mastered the fine art of healthy holiday hedoni
Croatia´s second-largest city (pop. a bit over 176,000) is both bustling and beautifully sited on the Dalmatian Coast, with a breathtaking coastline, set on the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic Sea and offering beautiful beaches, which can be explored via or private and group boat excursions. It´s a must-see destination for anyone seeking to experience this country´s natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, and it´s a particular draw within Europe with visitors especially from Eastern E
The exclusive dining experience on the Princess Discovery is unlike any other I have been a part of during my travels.
"360: An Extraordinary Experience" is dining immersion making one feel like you’re sitting in the Greek countryside with olive trees or smelling the fragrance of lavender in the south of France. Thanks to Princess Cruises, I savored this time with fellow bloggers.
I immediately became captivated with the experience when I heard beautiful music played by two violinists and f
With nearly 26,000 kilometres (more than 16,000 miles) of coastline, this continent unto itself, surrounded by three of the world's great oceans: the Pacific, the Indian, and the Southern Ocean. It´s most famous for the surfing culture along its eastern coast but also offers an incredible array of aquatic adventures, from adrenaline pumpers to simply bathing off gorgeous beaches in crystal-clear seas. And here we focus on a quintet of places that all marine mavens should have on their bucket l
If you ever saw the comedy series Portlandia, which ran from 2011 to 2018, you know this city of 653,000 (metro area 2.1 million) is bike-friendly and full of food carts/trucks, indie bookstores, farm-to-table restaurants, an embarrassing number of coffee shops - and has a certain quirkiness to it (a popular local slogan goes: "Keep Portland Weird"). Most of these characterizations are pretty accurate. However, it's also a city that boasts more than 150 parks, including the largest forested pa
4FR, Jacob Wackerhausen,RAndrey
Annually since 1985, the cultural poobahs of the European Union have designated one or more of the continent's cities (and as of 2022 it's been three rather than two), as Capitals of Culture, focusing on their own cultural offerings and allowing them to organize a series of wider cultural events (many with a strong pan-European dimension) - which bring in considerable additional revenue; foster urban renewal; and raise their international profiles and images. Sin
JUTTHANA JAIDEE
Imagine planning a vacation by telling your smartphone, "I want to take a four-day trip to Los Angeles in June" and having it spit out a perfect itinerary. That future might not quite be here yet – but with the power of AI and software like ChatGPT, (GPT being short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a big step in that direction has definitely been indeed taken.
Hassle-Free Planning
ChatGPT, the two-year-old marquis product of San Francisco-based OpenAI, can analyze and
SPC Gibran Torres
Haiti, really? You´re no doubt wondering. Well, yes, the Americas´ most impoverished country has been an abject basket case for many years, and its current tragic vicissitudes with violence and instability approaching near collapse make it seem unlikely to recover any time soon. But here´s a reminder of what a fundamentally beautiful country this is, how rich is its history, how vibrant its culture, and how friendly its people – as I can attest when I visited way back in 26 y
In southern Jordan, just under three hours from capital Amman, one of the most recognisable ancient sites in the MIddle East - and indeed, the world - was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1812. But it dates back to at least the 2nd century BCE and probably earlier, settled by an ancient Bedouin Arab tribe called the Nabataeans, who spoke Aramaic rather than Arabic and grew into a wealthy, powerful kingdom which at its height - and until it was absorbed by the Roman Empire in the
Every March 17th, the 5th-century Romano-British missionary who converted the Celts to Christianity, then became a bishop and eventually Irland´s patron saint is celebrated in more countries than any other national holiday, and of course it has special weight and significance here, where it´s a public holiday as well as a cultural and religious one. And if you happen to be visiting on this special day, you´re in for a treat, with various forms of festivities shamrocking the cit
Carnival Cruise Line
On their recent Carnival Cruise Lines vacation, every member of the Meyers family was busy enjoying their three-generation vacation getaway. Tom and Martha were playing their favorite sport of pickleball, which is a popular pastime among people in their advanced age group. Their son Ben and his wife Melissa were steering electric race cars along a winding two-level track (above and below), slowing to negotiate sharp hairpin turns. Meanwhile, grandchildren Tom and Betsy wer
The northern part of the island shared with Dutch Sint Maarten was colonized by the French in the early 17th century, and today Saint-Martin (population just over 39,000) is a “collectivity” of France, an overseas territory with considerable autonomy. This side of the island is known for its French influence, gastronomic delights, and beautiful beaches.
Marigot
The capital of French St. Martin (pop. 5,700, above and top) is a laid-back blend of French and Caribbean culture filled
Lunar New Year 2024 has just ended, landing us in the year of the Dragon, and it got me to thinking: there´s quite a bit out there on where/how to travel according to Western star signs, aligning destinations with your astrological characteristics, but you don´t hear much of anything on the subject when it comes to Chinese astrology. As someone who´s studied Chinese and Sinic culture, I looked into it a bit, and here´s what I came up with, with a couple of destination suggestions
The main claim to fame of Bluegrass State´s second largest city (pop.around 323,000 ), located in the Bluegrass Region in Kentucky´s center and north is as "the horse capital of the world," cradle of thoroughbreds (even though the famed Kentucky Derby is held in Louisville, an hour and a half away). Equestrian enthusiasts can check out some 450 horse farms as well as the Kentucky Horse Park (see below), but there´s plenty more to this gracious city. Here are a few of the spots not
Photos: David Paul Appell
Nearly 20 years ago I visited Norge for the first time – on a press trip sponsored by Visit Norway to capital Oslo, historic second city Bergen, and a Hurtigruten cruise to the fjords and up to far-northern Svalbard. It was all beautiful, of course, but it was in summertime, and over this past Christmas and New Year´s I had to privilege of coming back in winter. Naturally, it was a whole different – and a chilling yet in many ways even more enchanting – experience.
PickPik
Winter may now already be on its way out, but if this one’s for anyone already thinking of next season. A couple of months ago, in preparation for a whirl through the winter wonderland above Norway’s Arctic Circle, I realized that the usual winter togs that serve me well enough in Spain just weren’t going to cut it in serious snow, ice, and temperatures forecasted to drop as low as 5⁼ Fahrenheit (-15⁼ Celsius). So I educated myself about what new cold-weather clothes gear I would need
The world´s second largest religion, Islam, is practiced by an estimated 1.8 billion people on every continent, and an estimated 3.6 million mosques worldwide, ranging from the humble, workaday and even primitve to the spectacular indeed. Countries with the most mosques include (believe it or not) Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia (which is after all the religion´s birthplace), Turkey, and Yemen. Known in Arabic as a masjid, this is whe
Mporterf
"Virginia is for lovers," the tourism slogan goes and that´s especially true for lovers of history and nature. Here you'll see colonial settlements as well as Civil War battlefields and presidential residences (eight presidents have hailed from here, mostly early in the USA´s history). Its cities are a mix of historic architecture and cutting-edge modern culture and amenities including great dining; its relatively modest coastline is nonetheless packed with appealing beaches; and its
Raise a glass to the world of sparkling wine! French Champagne is the most famous, of course, but there are many types of bubbly wine enjoyed around the world, and some of the best/most nobale hail from Europe. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just want to enjoy a glass with friends, there is a sparkling wine out there for everyone. Here are some of the most popular types that you can find at your favorite wine shop or online.
The world´s most renowned bubby
