Surprising and Inspiring Travel

THE publication of National Geographic Traveler magazines annual Best Trips issue, reveals its 28 must-see destinations and travel experiences for 2019. Together, Traveler editors and National Geographic Explorers have selected their top places to travel across four categories: Cities, Nature, Culture, and Adventure.

The year's Best Trips list is relevant, surprising and inspiring, highlighting a globe-spanning mix of destinations from the Peruvian Amazon to Kansas City, Missouri.

National Geographic's Best Trips destinations for 2019 are:

CITIES

Dakar, Senegal
Salvador, Brazil
Kansas City, Missouri
Toronto, Canada
Matera, Italy
Perth, Australia
Mexico City, Mexico

NATURE

Peruvian Amazon
Montenegro
Belize
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
South Walton County, Florida
Fanjingshan, China
Tahiti, French Polynesia

CULTURE

Cairo, Egypt
Hoang Lien Son, Vietnam
Galway, Ireland
Bauhaus Trail, Germany
Oakland, California
Vervey, Switzerland
Dordogne, France

ADVENTURE

Greenland
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Isla de los Estados, Argentina
Macedonia
Canterbury Region, New Zealand
Caño Cristales River, Colombia
Oman

The December/January 2019 issue of Traveler magazine, is now available on newsstands and online at NatGeoTravel.com/BestTrips2019.


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New global campaign to boost inbound tourism

NATIONAL tourism agency VisitBritain is this week launching a new global campaign for 2018 to boost inbound tourism to Britain. The campaign ‘I Travel For…’ uses short films and story-telling to shine the spotlight on unexpected experiences and less-explored destinations in #Britain, alongside its globally renowned and iconic landmarks and attractions. The campaign aligns the passions that motivate people to #travel with experiences that can only be had in Britain, inspiring overseas visitors to book a trip right now.


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Saving Patagonia's legendary Torres Trail

SOUTHERN Explorations, specializing in crafting custom small-group trips and itineraries to Latin America, has partnered with the Torres del Paine Legacy Fund to help save Patagonia's legendary Torres Trail. 

Visits to the trail in world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park have rapidly increased. The trail can now receive as many as one thousand hikers a day. Such intensive use has resulted in serious deterioration of the trail and addressing these impacts is now an urgent priority.

Under its partnership agreement with the Chilean National Forest Corporation (CONAF), the Legacy Fund has joined AMA Torres del Paine to launch the "Tu Mejor Huella para el Paine" (Your best footprint for Paine) campaign.

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Travel Japan with a local

TRIPFRIENDS, an SNS application dedicated to introducing tour guides to tourists, which the company SeaCalls has developed based on the concept that "Traveling alone is no longer lonely."

Tripfriends, fully compatible with Android and iOS, attracts many keen travelers, helping them find nice food at places visited, experience Japan's culture and look for partners to enjoy various activities.

Tripfriends is recommended to people who would say:

I like traveling alone but would sometimes like somebody's company
I want to interact with locals
I want more people to know about my town
I want a social networking site where users love traveling
I want to make an album of my travel memories and share it with my friends
I love hanging out with people more than anything

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Love to do it? Hate to plan it?

Travelling with friends and family? A new survey conducted by the world's leading travel search engine reveals that nearly 50 percent of Americans are stressed out when travel planning for friends and family, with the U.S. ranking second among the most stressed out of all the countries polled.

Enter KAYAK Trip Huddle, a new tool to help take the pain out of planning group travel. KAYAK looked at some of the top pain points for planning trips – choosing accommodations, selecting a destination and coordinating travel schedules, which collectively stress out 57% of Americans – and created a tool to address each and every one of them. 

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Take me all the way to the top!

SKY View Observatory and Columbia Center announce that their online timed-tickets go on sale Friday, June 1. 

Seattle's newly renovated, ultimate visitor experience, offers sweeping 360-degree panoramic views at 902 feet, complete with innovative, interactive technology. 

Highlighted by an immersive elevator transformation, the experience whisks guests to the tallest public observatory in the Pacific Northwest, climbing 73 stories above ground in just 70 seconds.

www.skyviewobservatory.com

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Kiev: more than just football

KIEV is famous for football, here such outstanding personalities as Blokhin and Lobanovsky and Andrey Shevchenko were born. The capital of Ukraine is famous for holding high-profile international #football competitions aans of football remember grandiose Euro 2012, which Ukraine hosted together with Poland. The UEFA Champions League Final will be held in #Kiev on Saturday, May 26. And the city is responsibly preparing for this event.

Guide me UA offers 3 hour sightseeing tours with a private guide in English. The tours offered include Pub Crawl or Street Art tour, and the most luxurious one is a tour of the Mezhyhirya mansion where the former president lived; he built his mansion using stolen money.

Kiev is the home of Ukrainian culture, a hero city, the capital of modern Ukraine, where contemporary art and creative cuisine are highly prized. You will see the city's history, Old Russian - near the pagan temple and near the monument to the founders of the city, Orthodox - in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and St. Andrew's Church, Soviet - at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and near the Motherland Statue, fashionable and democratic - while walking along Khreshchatyk Street.

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Now that will be a room with a view . . .

THE first-ever luxury space hotel was introduced today during the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California. Named after the magical light phenomenon that illuminates the Earth's polar skies, Aurora Station is being developed by Orion Span and the company's team of space industry veterans, who have over 140 years of human space experience.

The first fully modular space station to ever debut, Aurora Station will operate as the first luxury hotel in space. The exclusive hotel will host six people at a time – including two crew members. Space travelers will enjoy a completely authentic, once-in-a-lifetime astronaut experience with extraordinary adventure during their 12-day journey, starting at $9.5M per person. Deposits are now being accepted for a future stay on Aurora Station, which is slated to launch in late 2021 and host its first guests in 2022.

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Down Under . . .

TWO of Australia’s natural World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – feature in a brand new package offered by Majestic Whales Encounters, which will see travellers swim with dwarf minke whales, snorkel on the famous reef, and stay in a luxurious rainforest treehouse. 

The ‘Swim with Dwarf Minke Whales’ 10-night package is the first Queensland trip offered by Australian company, Majestic Whales, which is known for its #whaleswim #holidays in Tonga and now expanding into other whale-rich waters, including Norway and #Queensland. 

Beginning on June 28, 2019, the package aims to coincide with dwarf minke whales’ annual migration to the waters known as the Ribbon Reefs – the only place in the world where you can swim with them. Their inquisitive nature brings them close to boats, divers and snorkelers, often swimming just a metre away as they playfully lift their heads out of the water to observe the boats, tail-slap the water and breach. 

www.majesticwhaleencounters.com.au

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Whale of a celebration

CHANNEL Islands Harbor, USA celebrates the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale with its Annual Celebration of the Whales. Each winter, these enchanting whales migrate through the Santa Barbara Channel on their way to the lagoons of Mexico, where the females will give birth. 

Whale watching excursions to the Channel Islands National Park are offered daily from Channel Islands Harbor and provide sightseers the best opportunities for viewing the whales, which are up to 50 feet long and weigh approximately 36 tons, as they travel south. Excursions begin January 5 and run through mid-April 2018.

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Alaska West Air celebrate 40th Anniversary in 2018

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of Alaska West Air providing flightseeing, bear viewing and guided trip services in #Alaska. 

The flightseeing company began in 1978 and has provided adventure services to clients from all around the world. From Disney, Warren Miller, BBC, MTV and National Geographic as well as its estimated 4,000 to 6,000 private guests each year.

Some of its most popular destinations include Katmai National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Chinitna Bay, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and the iconic naturalist Dick Proenneke’s historic cabin on the shores of Twin Lakes. 

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Costa Rica records a rise in UK visitor numbers

COSTA RICA has recorded an increase in visitors from the UK up by 7.8% in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. 

From January to September 2017, a total of 57,906 Britons travelled to #CostaRica, compared to the 53,700 from the same period last year.

www.visitcostarica.com

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Rafting through the Grand Canyon requires patience

DOES rafting through the Grand Canyon top your bucket list? One company that specializes in rafting western rivers says a dollop of patience is required to make dreams come true due to unprecedented demand.

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a trip through the #GrandCanyon, appears to sell itself. However Western River Expeditions’ sales team is tasked with suggesting suitable alternatives for sold-out Grand Canyon space for those river enthusiasts who just can’t wait. Two good alternatives include a four-day trip through Cataract Canyon, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon’s Younger Sister” or a five-day journey down Desolation Canyon on the Green River.

Grand Canyon – www.westernriver.com/grand-canyon-vacation. Western River Expeditions is now taking requests for 2019 as most of these vacations in 2018 are already booked.

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Journey to the Blue Planet

WITH the release of the highly anticipated Blue Planet II on BBC One narrated by #DavidAttenborough, Netflights.com has shared a round-up of destinations around the world where you can discover the incredible creatures filmed in the series. From the leaping Mobula Manta Rays in Mexico to following the path from Alaska to Hawaii in search of Humpback whales, take a journey to explore the depths of the waters and uncover some extraordinary marine life.

Swim with dolphins in New Zealand: The first episode of the series, ‘One Ocean’, takes viewers on a journey from the heart of the tropics to the frozen poles exploring sea life.

Discover the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef: As the world’s largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland is a fantastic place to observe a diversity of marine life. Avid diving fans can visit the subtropical waters to find this clever fish along with plenty more wonderful creatures including the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Grouper Fish and Octopus which are all seen throughout the series. 

Watch the amazing flying Mantas in Mexico: The Sea of Cortez separates the peninsula from mainland Mexico and every year, hundreds of Mobula Manta Rays congregate here to put on one of the most spectacular wildlife performances on earth and captured during the series.

Spot one of the largest Wrasse species in Japan: Asian Sheepshead Wrasse are one of the largest of the Wrasse family and are native to the western Pacific Ocean, inhabiting the rocky reef areas. Amongst many scientific discoveries in this series, the crew films a female Asian Sheepshead Wrasse switching gender.

Mauritius, a birder’s paradise: Twitchers can visit the south west coast of Mauritius to spot local species including the Sotty Tern and Common Noddy. These seabirds are incredibly valuable in maintaining healthy ecosystems, especially on islands as they help to improve soil quality and also indicate fish availability.

See Humpbacks during Whale season in Hawaii: Mating season for Humpback Whales last for up to five months where the creatures swim down from Alaska to the warmer climes of Hawaii. The waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands are a favourite for the Humpack and can be spotted across all of the Hawaiian Islands with the best viewing spots in the world between Maui, Lanai and Molokai.

Spot the mighty giant Trevally in the Seychelles: Found swimming in the waters of the Indian Ocean, the film crew venture out to the Seychelles to spot the Giant Trevally, a 40kg bulldog-like fish, jumping out of the ocean to catch sea birds mid-air, a sight that had never been recorded until now. 

Netflights.com


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Picture Credit: WanderingtheWorld (www.ChrisFord.com) 'I Found Nemo', Australia, Cairns, The Great Barrier Reef via photopin

Perfect Proposal

IMAGINE proposing to the one you love on a tiny, remote island surrounded by a circle of white sandy beach, in the middle of the picturesque Yasawa Islands in #Fiji. This romantic scenario could be reality with the release of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, Tivua Island Proposal Package. 

The #romantic adventure begins as soon as you set sail on the magnificent tall ship Ra Marama or the luxurious sleek sailing catamaran Fiji One which will take you on a 90-minute cruise to the tiny tranquil island of Tivua. Enjoy some Fijian entertainment and morning tea along the way. Once arriving at Tivua experience a traditional welcoming Kava ceremony before being whisked away to a deserted part of the beach where your loved one will discover a “message in a bottle”, lying at the water’s edge and containing a personalised proposal message. Then celebrate your engagement over a delicious tropical buffet lunch and a bottle of sparkling wine in a private romantic bure on the beach. 

Spend the rest of the day on cloud nine, simply laying on a comfy beanbag under a beach hut, taking a leisurely swim, feeding the fish, sleeping on a hammock, go on a guided herbal medicine nature walk, snorkel or go glass bottom boating over the magnificent reefs and clam gardens escorted by a Marine biologist or try a romantic kayak or paddle board around the island.

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24 Hours in Cartagena

THE Latin American Travel Association (LATA) have suggested the best way to spend a day in #Cartagena.

The charming colourful city of Cartagena lies of the Caribbean coast. Known for its laid back vibe, friendly locals, music scene and views over the ocean. Visitors can while away a week or two, but for those who only have a day, here’s the best way to spend it.

8 a.m.

To make the most of the day, get an early start. The ocean breeze cools the morning’s pleasant spring-like temperature. Hungry? Swing by Elaine Gomez Lozano’s arepa stand on the corner of Carrera 11 and Calle 38 in the old city. Here, Elaine serves up hearty corn arepas filled with meat and cheese. There are plenty of street stands to grab a freshly squeezed juice or coffee.

9 a.m.

The best way to see the beauty and history of Cartagena is to walk along the wall that surrounds the old town. It has been there for 400 years. Begin the walk on the western side and stroll for 2 miles taking with the ocean on one side and the old town on the other. Don’t feel you need to walk along the entire length in one go. There are lots of little scenic spots to take a rest.

1 p.m.

Seafood features big on the city’s menus. For something light, try a ceviche, a zingy mix of seafood marinated in lime and citrus juices. Street vendors offer ceviche in the old town, but for the best, try La Cevicheria, a tiny eatery on Calle Stuart 714. Be sure to also try the shrimp and octopus salad which is excellent. If the weather’s good, perch on the seats outside.

3 p.m.

Outside the old town lies San Felipe de Barajas fort built by the Spanish. This huge structure dates back to the 16th century to defend the city from sea attacks by pirates. It was later extended in the 17th and 18th centuries. It takes a little time to scramble to the top of the 130-foot fort, but the views are well worth the effort.

6 p.m.

It may seem a bit twee, but a ride on one of the horse-drawn carriages is an excellent way to see the city in style. This is popular at sunset, when the city has an orange glow. Trot around for an hour, take in the delightful colonial architecture and watch the locals. A good time to start snapping on the camera.

8 p.m.

Cartagena seems to have almost limitless restaurant options. It is hard to do better than Don Juan’s on Calle del Colegio. This casual eatery puts Colombian produce at the forefront. Think grilled octopus, bacon and candied potatoes to start, followed by roasted lamb, yucca fries and artichoke aioli. Bliss.

10 p.m.

Cartagena nightlife is legendary and plays an important role in the city. La Vitrola on Calle Baloco feels like the bars out of Old Havana. Grab a stool and sip a cold beer or aguadiente while listening to the sounds of Samba and Cuban music.


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TripAdvisor Announces World's Top Landmarks With Travelers' Choice Awards

THE awards honor 706 landmarks in 82 countries.

"These iconic sights are cultural and historical touchstones for visitors across the globe," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "Summer is the perfect time for travelers to plan a visit to one of these landmarks. To enhance the experience at many of these signature places, visitors can book tours on TripAdvisor that offer unique perspectives or special VIP access."

Top 10 Landmarks in the World:

1.   Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia
2.   Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
3.   Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba - Cordoba, Spain
4.   St. Peter's Basilica - Vatican City, Italy
5.   Taj Mahal - Agra, India
6.   Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - St. Petersburg, Russia
7.   Great Wall at Mutianyu - Beijing, China
8.   Machu Picchu - Machu Picchu, Peru
9.   Plaza de Espana - Seville, Spain
10. Duomo di Milano - Milan, Italy

For the complete list of the 2017 Travelers' Choice Landmarks winners, as well as reviews and candid traveler photos, go to: www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Landmarks


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Top travel destinations for gin lovers

IT seems as though the UK has gone gin crazy at the moment! Our city centers aren't quite like the famous 'Gin Lane' painting by William Hogarth from 1751 but it is defiantly the UK's top trending drink statistics show UK gin sales have grown by up to 40% in the last 5 years! SkyParkSecure has put together their list of top travel destinations for gin lovers.

London

Gin wasn’t invented in London but few would deny it found a ‘spiritual home’ there during the infamous ‘Gin Craze’ of the seventeenth century.

Today the legacy of this proud history can be found all over London, not least at the Beefeater Distillery, which is located just a short walk over the bridge from Westminster Abbey. Gin enthusiasts are welcome to visit for an hour-long distillery tour most weekdays, and best of all a refreshing Gin and Tonic is included in the £12 entrance fee.

Scotland

It’s a little known fact that over 70% of the gin enjoyed by Brits is distilled in Scotland. In fact the tradition of Scottish gin production runs very deeply indeed, due in no small part to the juniper bushes which are common across the Highlands. Juniper berries are – of course – an essential ingredient of gin, and the Scottish variety is known for its distinctive rich and mellow flavour. 

If you want to take in as many of Scotland’s gin-based delights as possible, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has helpfully mapped out the Scottish Gin Trail. Stretching from Edinburgh all the way up to Caithness, the trail takes in all of Scotland’s best gin distilleries and bars. Only got time for a flying visit?

Specialist tour company Gin Journey organise regular events in Edinburgh, during which you can enjoy chauffeur-driven transport between the cities premier gin-themed hot-spots.

Spain

Spain is the second largest gin market in the world, principally due to the phenomenal popularity of ‘Gin-Tonic’, the Spanish take on the familiar Gin and Tonic which is served in a balloon glass with plenty of ice and garnish. So a trip to Spain is a great choice if you’re trying to decide where to travel to if you love gin.

You can enjoy gin in any Spanish city, but if you have to choose one head for Barcelona, where you’ll find a vibrant gin bar scene to rival any in the world, including the Old Fashioned Gin Tonic & Cocktail Bar, Bobby Gin, and Xixbar to name but a few. Head just out of the city to the fishing village of Vilanova and you can pay a visit to the Gin Mare distillery, where the Ribot family has been producing Spain’s most famous home-grown gin since the 1940s.

Amsterdam

Experience the delights of ‘Genever’, the more complex juniper-based spirit forerunner of gin which the Dutch have been enjoying since the middle ages.

An altogether maltier proposition than modern Gin, Genever often has a light, honey-like colour. While the taste of Juniper still dominates, Genever also boasts smooth, creamy flavours. It is equally enjoyable straight, with a mixer, or when used to add a new dimension to classic cocktails. Head to Amsterdam’s House of Bols Cocktail and Genever Experience where you can discover how a great cocktail is made, and immerse yourself in the history and heritage of this exquisite spirit. Tickets are priced at just €16, which includes a cocktail.

Appetite whetted, you’re probably going to want to sample even more varieties of Dutch gin. So pay a visit to the De Drie Fleschjes tasting room where they’ve been welcoming enthusiastic Genever drinkers since 1650.

Philippines

The Philippines is the largest gin market in the world consuming over 22 million cases every year! It all started back in 1830’s when the first brand was formed by a family-owned Spanish era distillery. Ginebra San Miguel was the one that started the Filipino gin trend. An average Filipino consumes 1.4 liters of gin every year, largely due to the effective marketing and distribution of Ginebra San Miguel.

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Source credit: SkyParkSecure

To the moon and back

THE U.S. Government made a historic ruling in August of this year, to allow the first private enterprise, Moon Express, Inc. (MoonEx), permission to #travel beyond Earth’s orbit and land on the #Moon in 2017. 

This breakthrough U.S. policy decision provides authorization to Moon Express for a maiden flight of its robotic spacecraft onto the Moon’s surface, beginning a new era of ongoing commercial lunar exploration and discovery, unlocking the immense potential of the Moon’s valuable resources.

This ruling also establishes an important precedent for the private sector to engage in peaceful space exploration and for commercial ventures.

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Picture Credit: Nemodus photos flickr.com/photos/7935996@N04/15275181657 Moon FZ1000 via photopin