Forbes

Sharon Cooke stands impatiently on an overgrown plot in Andromeda Botanic Gardens, a botanical conservancy on the rugged Atlantic side of Barbados.

Many travelers spend their lives looking for that one trip that will offer a truly transformative experience, a journey that not only alters their perspective but also enriches their spirit. Molori Mashuma is such a destination. Set in the unique wilderness of Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the lodge (which is a Rora Private Collection property) is specifically designed to foster a connection with not only nature, but also the people who call this remarkable country home. Discover why you need to include this incredible lodge on your safari bucket list.

The newest cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet sails Northern Europe itineraries for much of the year. There’s lots to see and do between port calls, so Euribia is a great choice for families, young couples, or groups of friends who don't mind a lively, pan-European onboard atmosphere.

Self-guided adventure travel is having its moment right now and there are many reasons for its rise in popularity. No one knows this better than Neil Lapping, founder of Macs Adventure, which offers more than 500 self-guided hiking and biking adventures in more than 40 destinations worldwide.

The New River Valley in Southwest Virginia is a scenic vacation spot and the home to Virginia Tech, a large public university in Blacksburg, Virginia. It’s located in Montgomery County which touches three river drainages – New River, James River, and Roanoke River – so there’s an abundance of outdoor activities available. You’ll also find a classic cinema, a charming bookstore, an innovative arts center, and lots more. Here are the things you shouldn’t miss when you visit the valley.

It’s been a dazzling spectacle of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, since Friday, May 11, across the night sky of the U.S., Canada and Europe, high-energy particles from the sun interacting with the earth's magnetic field to cause dazzling and mesmerizing geomagnetic storms.

Redwoods is one of my favorite National Parks and it shares one aspect with my other favorites: otherworldliness. Being there really feels like you’ve been transported to another world, because there’s no other place like it on this one. Sure, there are forests elsewhere. There are even forests on coasts, but not like this. Coastal redwoods, the trees that give the park its name, are the tallest in the world.

A stay at an airport hotel is usually booked with convenience in mind. You’ve got an early morning flight and want to be close to your departure gate or you’ve got a layover that’s too long to wait out in the lounge, yet too short to venture deep into a city. But some airport hotels go above and beyond with their amenities and design, and, Skytrax, a London-based air transport ratings organization, rates airport hotels each year.

Peter Hoagland always checks to see if his travel insurance is refundable. That's because anything can happen between the time you book your vacation and when you leave — and because travel insurance isn't always refundable.

In the 1970s, Chevy Chase and Garrett Morris had a regular skit on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. Chase, the anchor, would tell viewers, "Our top story tonight is Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead." That pronouncement, based on a premature report of the dictator’s passing, would be followed up with Garrett Morris, who would join Chase to repeat the news for listeners with hearing impairments. Instead of signing, Morris would cup his hands and scream at the top of his lungs the punch line that Franco was still deceased, even though he hadn’t yet passed. They repeated the skit week after week. It has been a year since we started seeing reports about the pending departures of Wheels Up and VistaJet. However, unlike the general who did succumb, both are still alive, and flying, although at what altitude is open for discussion.

Last night, I returned home to Miami after spending a bit longer than I had anticipated in San Diego, where I had been attending the Spring meeting of the International Aircraft Dealers Association, also known as IADA. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to be at home today.

There are endless cultural experiences in Brussels to add to your bucket list—but if you’re visiting for the first time there are a handful of spots you’ll want to check off your list immediately. The following museums and culturally significant hot spots are unique to Brussels and will appeal to a broad range of travelers, from science fiends to architecture fans.

J.D. Power just released its 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, and while some airlines shone, others are clearly not prioritizing customer service. As domestic air travel continues to rise (with passenger volume increasing by 9.4% compared to the previous year) airlines find it challenging to maintain customer satisfaction amid crowded gates, overflowing overhead bins and rising ticket prices. However, the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released on May 8, shows that some airlines are responding to these challenges by focusing heavily on staff training and doing what they can to improve the overall flight experience through friendly and attentive service. These efforts are paying off, allowing some airlines to deliver exceptional customer experiences despite the growing number of travelers.

More travelers than ever will be heading to Paris this summer as the 2024 Olympics unfold. These new hotels across France are worth taking a diversion for.

Joining Silversands Resort Grand Anse, the architecturally impressive Silversands Beach House has made its debut and more openings are on the horizon.

The first time is a point, the second time is a line, and by the third time it’s a pattern. Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience (HWFE) is back on Thursday, May 16 for a 4-day celebration. It’s here in Sonoma County, amidst the clinking of wine glasses and laid back luxury that first-time visitors will question why they didn’t find this place and event sooner. Having had the distinct pleasure of attending this Healdsburg wine and food event since its inception, I've witnessed its evolution firsthand. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a must-visit for any serious food and wine aficionado, each year has built upon the last, refining and expanding the experience in ways both subtle and significant.

Brussels is one of the coolest cities in Europe—and it doesn’t even have to try. The Belgian capital is a hub for foodies and pop culture fiends alike but it also has its fair share of outdoor things to see and do, which particularly come alive in the spring time.

More than a thousand years ago, Norse explorers set sail from Scandinavia in search of new opportunities, marking the dawn of the Viking Age.

Ever dreamed of spending a night in Paris’ Musée D’Orsay? Or parking yourself among the race cars in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy? Or how about drifting off to sleep among clouds in the house from Up? Those are just a few of the fantastical locations recently revealed in Airbnb’s Icons collection for summer 2024. Airbnb says it will offer more dreamy locations on a regular basis—mostly for free—and more than 4,000 “golden tickets” will be awarded to guests this year.

In April, Cooper Wallace, a nine-year-old boy from the U.K., went viral after winning the final of the Gull Screeching Championship. Despite seeming niche, the event had a huge turnout of visitors from all over Europe and led to a peak in searches on Google for the tournament and its main vocal activity.

Taylor Swift kicked off the European leg of The Eras Tour in Paris on Thursday, May 9, 2024, and the masterful storyteller thrilled fans with the addition of performances from her latest album The Tortured Poets Department. She jokingly called that section of the show Female Rage: The Musical. Most concertgoers already knew and sang along to every word of all the songs she sang from the album although it was recently released on April 19. Such is the power of Swift.