A disturbing headline just popped up on myriad travel websites, and if you’re planning a family trip abroad, you’ll want to factor in this news: Tourist pickpocking incidents have surged in Italy, Portugal, The United Kingdom, France, Spain, and The Netherlands over the past few years. If you already worry about the escalating costs associated with taking your clan to these nations, consider following in…
The word “curated” has been bandied about a lot of late. While the original word “curate” referred to priests of the lowest rank in the Church of England (they help the vicar), today’s use of the word curated is, by contrast, extremely eclectic. For example, art and museum holdings are curated, as are selections made for film festivals that must meet a certain standard of…
Most historians attribute the phrase, “Go west, young man, go west,” to Horace Greeley, the 1865 editor of the New York Daily Tribune. Others insist that the real author coined the phrase 14 years earlier. His name is John Babson Lane Soule, and if you’re a trivia buff, store both names within the recesses of your brain to verify your expertise. If the idea of…
Does the process of planning an overseas trip make you feel so edgy, that just getting started feels intimidating? Perhaps you haven’t found the right guide for the job, because once you settle on a trustworthy one, you’ll find that there’s no need to calm your nerves. Every step you take will not only give you confidence but boost your mental health, writes National Geographic…
If you follow travel industry trends over time, you know that some of the most popular innovations, according to Pressreader.com, include booking engines, travel apps, globalization, the rise of the digital nomad, and hybrid work trends triggered by COVID-19 that made work/vacation escapes common. Above and beyond all of these is the boutique resort phenomenon, a trend that continues to flourish. “The boutique hotel industry,…
One of the most talked about new trends is the 4-day work week that’s becoming commonplace in the U.S. Four-day work weeks are also creating a new vacation niche for people with shorter work weeks. This emerging trend has spurred Laru Beya Resort on Belize’s Placencia peninsula to promote a 4-day getaway that is equally beneficial because short, intermittent getaways accomplish so many goals: Go…
Did you know that there’s a website devoted to substantiating the number of beaches travelers can find throughout the world? This site—Beaches-Close-To-Me—is packed with data, so if you’re curious about your hometown, check this website out at. Vacation planners seeking data on the best overseas beaches could be surprised if they visit this site and search the Belize page. Folks calculating numbers for this resource…
Have you become braver as you’ve gotten older? You’re in good company. Life hands us challenges that help build character and prove that taking the occasional risk can be both liberating and joyous, say therapists who encourage mindful risk-taking. What benefits can you reap from stepping outside your comfort zone? You’ll take pride in doing something hard that boosts your confidence and self-esteem There’s a…
Has watching the 2026 Winter Olympics games occupied half of your waking time of late? It’s easy to see why—ratings for viewership were impressive, and much of the excitement revolved around the men’s and women’s U.S.A. hockey teams versus the Canadians. This North American rivalry goes back decades, but recent playoffs got more media and fan attention than usual. U.S.A. goalie Connor Hellebuyck wore what…
Even historians can get it wrong when they do research on the origins of Mother’s Day, pointing to Ann Reeves Jarvis, a 19th Century West Virginia woman who launched clubs that taught local women how to care for their children as the founder. But in fact, holidays honoring moms have been around since the days of ancient Greeks and Romans. These festivals paid homage to…