The World's Greatest Vacations

Best Money-Saving Hotel Tips

2013-07-15

Which country has the highest-priced hotels? The immediate answer is the Maldives, according to Hotels.com’s recently released Hotel Price Index. But the real takeaway is that for the past few years hotel prices have been rising across the globe, no matter which country you choose to visit. The average room rate rose by an average […]

8 Buildings Shaped Like Animals

2013-07-12

It’s a Jonah-and-the-whale kind of moment. You wake up, and your guest room appears normal. But as you get your bearings, you realize that you’re in the belly of a reptile — otherwise known as Australia’s Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn. The curious trend of zoomorphic architecture — that is, buildings that look like animals — […]

Perfect Lake Vacations Across America

2013-07-11

Lake getaways offer the perfect combination of water warm enough for wading and calm enough for canoeing (not to mention clean enough for moonlit skinny-dipping)—and there are plenty of destinations within a half-day’s drive from major cities… Finger Lakes, New York. Smack in the middle of New York, this collection of more than a dozen […]

Why Traveling for a Greater Purpose Will Make You a Better Individual

2013-07-10

As a traveler, you have two choices: You can buy an all-inclusive package, never step foot off the resort, and return home with sunburn, a hangover, and an extra 10 pounds. Or you can venture outside your comfort zone, leave a place better than you found it, and return with a refreshing new perspective. Being […]

15 Best Islands You’ve Never Heard Of

2013-07-09

Bali? Been there. Virgin Islands? Done that. Twice. While many well known islands inhabit prominent spots on the average bucket list, there’s another group of outposts that only the truly island-savvy know about. These under-the-radar islands have sea views and ocean breezes, but are blessedly lacking in crowds, fabricated attractions and recreation “ambassadors” leading the […]

Top 10 Beachside Bed-And-Breakfasts

2013-07-08

We love the quaint, homey vibe that comes with bed-and-breakfasts. And when they’re located beachside, where mega-resorts are more often the norm, they feel even more like hidden gems. Plan your next getaway — or just dream about it — by clicking through our slideshow of the best B&Bs on the beach. Many dot New […]

12 Top-Secret Swimming Holes

2013-07-08

The start of summer means travelers will be flocking to beaches and lakefronts in droves. Sure, we love boardwalks and water skiing and volleyball as much as the next guy. But when it comes to purely and simply communing with the water, there’s no better place to take a dip than an all-American swimming hole. […]

9 Foreign Countries Where You Can Use U.S. Dollars

2013-07-06

There are many great pleasures of the globe-trotting life, but dealing with pesky Travelex lines is not one of them. Sick of exchange rates, transaction fees, and coming home with pockets filled with useless coins? Here are foreign destinations where you can pay with U.S. dollars, from the sunny and subtropical to the still-undiscovered. Read […]

Sand Sculpture Shindigs: A Bucket List

2013-07-05

Your days at the beach with a bucket and shovel making castles in the sand were child’s play compared to what you’ll see at sand sculpting events. There, the massive, inventive, intricate works of art go so far beyond “sand castles.” You’ll never look at sand and water the same way again. (Keep reminding yourself—it […]

Princess Cruises Launches Fourth of July Sale

2013-07-05

Princess Cruises has kicked off a week-long Fourth of July promotion that brings on-board credits of up to $100 per cabin with new bookings. The Red, White & Blue Sale, as it’s being called, encompasses more than 100 sailings departing between September and December in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Panama Canal, California Coast, Mexico and Canada/New […]