Ribčev Laz at Lake Bohinj, Slovenia. Bernd Thaller/Flickr Spanning the Adriatic Sea to the Julian Alps, Slovenia packs stunning and diverse landscapes into a mere sliver of southern Central Europe. Bordered by Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Austria, Slovenia sits at the crossroads of historical powers and cultures. The tiny country has been under the reign…
Gran Caribe Resort Cancun/Oyster The Riviera Maya is the kind of magical place that manages to pack tropical beaches, wild nightlife, ancient ruins, boozy pool parties, amazing snorkeling, dazzling cenotes, luxe retreats, and bohemian vibes into an area that’s not much larger than the state of Maine. The region is by no means a secret,…
john mcsporran/Flickr Scotland is known for many things: romantic castles, the formidable Highlands, kilts, and the Loch Ness Monster, among many others. Whether for the natural landscapes, rich cultural sites, or something kitschier, Scotland ranks high on many travelers’ itineraries. Many visitors base their trip around Edinburgh with perhaps a day-trip or two to the…
Thinking about islands in the South Pacific will likely conjure images of turquoise lagoons surrounded by coral reefs, protruding mountains with lush greenery, and immaculate white-sand beaches with palm trees and hammocks. While you’re all but guaranteed to find that in any of the nations within this region, there are differences between each that make…
Cherry blossoms, Tokyo/Oyster Think of Japan and images of cherry blossoms, Buddhist temples, and a Shinkansen train zooming past Mount Fuji probably come to mind. But this is a country of diverse landscapes and seasons, 30 national parks, 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, avant-garde design and architecture, and one of the most refined cuisines in…
Italy is a place that’s as diverse as it is beautiful, and its inhabitants are not only passionate about their own region, but also the country as a whole. Between bustling cities like Rome and Milan, areas with spectacular natural beauty like Cinque Terre, and regal lakes found in the southern islands, there’s plenty to…
Venice/Oyster Magnificent Venice one of the most unique cities in the world because it’s built on a series of more than 100 small islands sandwiched in between the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. It’s also a city chock-a-block with stunning examples of Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, including churches and basilicas, monasteries, palazzos and…
A word of warning: Once you touch down in South America, there’s a high chance you won’t want to return home. Yes, it’s a big place, with 13 countries spread across thousands of miles made up of dizzyingly high mountains, steaming jungles, amazing beaches, and some of the world’s largest cities. To be clear, there…
Don’t get us wrong, we love Amsterdam. It’s one of our favorite spots along Europe’s well-trodden, must-hit list of cities. According to Mastercard’s annual Global Destination Cities Index, Amsterdam is the 13th most-visited city in Europe by international overnight tourists, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the only city worth a visit in the…
The Balkans, an area in southeastern Europe along the Adriatic Sea, have been the crossroads of East and West for centuries. Fallen empires such as the Ottomans, Habsburgs, and Socialist Yugoslavia once claimed sections of the peninsula, and as such, political upheaval and wars — including, more recently, the Croatian War of Independence, the Bosnian…