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All-Inclusive Resorts and Hotels Are Very Popular Right Now

All-Inclusive Resorts and Hotels Are Very Popular Right Now

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, 2022-11-18 15:51:19,

It began in 1950, in a small fishing village on the Balearic island of Mallorca. World War II was in the recent past, the sun was shining, and entrepreneur Gérard Blitz decided to set up a village of tents for vacationers. The idea was for people to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with each other. Guests came in droves, the village’s population swelling to nearly 2,000, with everyone pitching in to work and enjoy a bounty of outdoor activities, food, and drink. This was the first modern all-inclusive resort, a harbinger of piña coladas to come: The original Club Med.

While the initial collection of tents is long gone, the idea of all-inclusives has stood the test of time. Over the years, many of them have gained a reputation for cringey breakfast buffets and nonstop booze, but this really sells some of today’s properties short. Over time, the all-inclusive has continued to evolve to include off-grid adventure lodges, personalized wellness retreats, treehouse getaways, and more.

Club Med is considered to be the first modern all-inclusive resort. | Photo courtesy of Club Med

According to the hotel news website Hospitality Net, all-inclusive resorts are not only regaining popularity in our decision-fatigued New Normal, but the demand is so high it’s given birth to a fresh generation of all-inclusive offerings. Today’s resort-goers have been attracted by the idea of a lower-stress vacation, particularly when vacationing with family, as well as the…

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Blue Hole National Park in Belize Travel Guide

Blue Hole National Park in Belize Travel Guide

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Staff, 2022-11-17 17:52:01,

The *other* blue hole. | Photo courtesy of Visit Belize

The *other* blue hole. | Photo courtesy of Visit Belize

You may have seen images of Belize’s famous blue hole: a perfectly round, sapphire sinkhole embedded in the country’s beautiful barrier reef. It’s a bucket-list scuba diving destination and major tourism draw—but it’s not the only blue hole worth a swim in the country.

Deep in the jungle, just off the Hummingbird Highway near the country’s capital city of Belmopan, is the lesser-known blue hole, which is a cenote in a national park. Originally called Blue Hole National Park, the name was changed to St. Herman’s Blue Hole to avoid confusion with the one found in the sea, which is called Blue Hole National Monument. Now that we know which watery pit we’re talking about, the exploration can begin.

Unlike the blue hole of the sea, the inland one is a little trickier to find. The cenote is tucked away inside 575 protected acres of national park land, which also includes two cave systems and several hiking trails. Reaching this blue hole involves walking down a short but steep section of stairs, which has a landing where visitors can leave their clothes and other items. The cold, clear water is surrounded by moss-covered limestone cliffs studded with jungle plants. Though overall it’s very quiet, there’s usually a symphony of birdsong in the background.

There’s plenty of adventure to be found in the caves and on the trails, especially for wildlife…

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Best Outdoor Adventures in Slovenia

Best Outdoor Adventures in Slovenia

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Staff, 2022-11-03 16:33:25,

As anyone who’s ever seen Planet Earth likely knows, it’s harder to find large swaths of untouched nature in Europe than on other continents. There are plenty of cute towns and bustling cities, sure—but vast wilderness, not so much. That’s why any patch of nature is precious; and in this arena, Slovenia particularly shines.

Nicknamed “the green heart of Europe,” Slovenia is packed with pristine outdoors concentrated in a small area. It may be a tiny country, but it’s full of forests, canyons, marine reserves, lakes, and rivers. After the Dutch nonprofit Green Destinations recognized Slovenia as a green hotspot in 2016, the status has grown into a stamp of pride, and now over 40 percent of its territory is protected land.

For visitors, that means beauty, escape, relaxation, and adventure. Stretching from the Alps to the warm coasts of the Mediterranean, you’ll find salt pan mud baths, thermal pools, rock climbing, canyoning, kayaking, and hiking. Here’s how to immerse yourself in Europe’s green heart.

Happy Moments/Shutterstock

Trek to waterfalls and peat bogs

Triglav National Park is Slovenia’s largest protected natural reserve, and it’s full of magnificent views of the Julian Alps, goat-grazing valleys, millenary trees, pristine brooks, and blue lakes that reflect the sky. Trekking trails unwind through the Pokljuka spruce tree forest, an area on top of the Karst plateau dotted with glacier fossils and peat bogs. Locals swear that spending one day here…

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Best Things to Do in Bonaire: Vacationing in the Dutch Caribbean

Best Things to Do in Bonaire: Vacationing in the Dutch Caribbean

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Staff, 2022-10-07 17:08:02,

“In Bonaire, you don’t think, you just do.” At least that’s what I repeat to myself standing at the edge of this cliff, eyeing the dirt-covered notch of fossilized coral beneath my feet. About 25 feet below that there’s clear, impossibly turquoise water. Maybe too clear: I think I see shadows of rock-masses right beneath the ripples, but hopefully my eyes are playing tricks on me.

On the southern end of the Caribbean, the Dutch municipality—the “B” between Aruba and Curaçao in the ABC islands—is less about tourist traps and more about outdoor appreciation. Here, 20,000 residents are relegated to two cities—Kralendijk, the capital, and the older Rincon—while about one third of the whole island is covered by Washington-Slagbaai National Park, where I am currently frozen.

The cliff in question. | Angelita Niedziejko/ Moment/ Getty Images

To get to this perch above Boka Slagbaai bay—once a setting for goat slaughtering (slagbaai comes from slachtbaai, Dutch for “slaughter bay”)—I trekked in aqua shoes up a lumpy trail lined with spindly candle cacti that sprung from the ground like electrified hairs. Take away the sounds of the ocean, and the landscape could easily double as a Western US desert. But then an iguana crosses my path, moseying along on Caribbean time. Behind me flamingos converge, feasting on a former salt pan. And at the top of the trail, I emerge to see the water—expansive, gorgeous, with coral reef all around, all protected thanks…

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Intrepid Travel Launches Gullah Geechee Tour

Intrepid Travel Launches Gullah Geechee Tour

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Staff, 2022-08-30 14:57:58,

According to Matt Berna of Intrepid Travel, the most popular trip for international travelers coming to the US is a multi-day exploration of the Southwest. And who could blame them? Our red rocks and wide gaping chasms are awe-inducing—the stuff of dreams and old movie backdrops. The area’s Indigenous tribes are rife with culture, community, and art. Plus, we make a hell of a Cowboy Steak. Less understandable, however, is their excitement over visiting a Walmart, but to each his own.

Embarking on a multi-day tour in a country other than your own is what Intrepid—and similar operators like G Adventures, Contiki, and others—are known for. They work especially well for solo travelers, and, depending on the provider and price point, you can hone in on your particular interests, whether it be food, adventure, history, or even old-timey train rides. Along the way, you’ll meet like-minded travelers, encounter new experiences, and, best of all, you don’t have to do a stitch of the planning.

Hiking in Montana backcountry with Blackfeet Outfitters, an Intrepid partner. | Blackfeet Outfitters

Intrepid was launched in 1988 by two adventurous and ambitious bearded Australians, Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester. Today, the company offers more than 1,000 itineraries across Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, Australia, and both the Arctic and Antarctica. Their particular niche is creating immersive—or intrepid, if you will—travel itineraries for…

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5 Safest Countries in Europe for Travelers

5 Safest Countries in Europe for Travelers

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, 2022-06-22 16:52:26,

As travel becomes popular again this summer, planning a trip might feel a bit unfamiliar or even new. The first and maybe most important step is figuring out where to go. If you are planning to travel by yourself or head to Europe for the first time this summer, everything from the costs of the flights to the sights will factor into your calculations. But invariably, safety will also come up. Forbes Advisor conducted research to determine which are the safest countries in Europe for travelers this year and shared the results with Thrillist.

Forbes Advisor used metrics like the quality of bathing water and healthcare and the rate of crimes like theft and homicide to give each country a final score. Those metrics make sense when you consider how easily a vacation could go sour by your purse getting snatched or taking a swim in a lake only to find out later that it is contaminated. Based on the analysis, Forbes Advisor determined five countries in Europe that rank the safest. Here they are in order below:

1. Switzerland
2. Slovenia
3. Portugal
4. Austria
5. Germany

Switzerland is overall the safest country to visit in 2022. Of all the European countries, it has the best healthcare quality, the sixth-best quality of bathing water, some of the lowest rates of air pollution, and some of the fewest reported homicides. Following closely is Slovenia, which has the lowest homicide rate in Europe and some of the best healthcare. Portugal, Austria, and Germany also rank well across all categories.

It is important to note that all five countries on the list are still considered a Level 3 risk by the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19. That classification means that the CDC recommends not traveling to that destination if you are not up to date on your…

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Best Juneteenth Celebrations in the US

Best Juneteenth Celebrations in the US

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Staff, 2022-06-14 16:06:01,

Hit up a Juneteenth celebration and you might partake in a homogenous spread of red foods: watermelon and red velvet cake, red soda and hibiscus tea, red sausages and strawberry pie. Festive and delicious, but also sobering—the color is believed to symbolize the struggle and bloodshed of African Americans. This June 19 marks 157 years since Union troops galloped into Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced to the 250,000 people still enslaved in the state that they were legally free.

Though the Emancipation Proclamation technically went into effect two years earlier in 1863, it took longer for it to be implemented in states ruled by the Confederacy, and the westernmost Confederate state of Texas was the last to be notified. “Juneteenth” became a day of celebration by the newly freed population, first documented in Austin in 1867, and introduced to the rest of the country during the Great Migration. For decades, thanks to a combination of Jim Crow-era restrictions and plain old racism, the holiday was mostly celebrated behind closed doors by African American households.

The Civil Rights Movement brought renewed popularity to the holiday, which both honors our nation’s second day of independence and acknowledges the battles still yet to be won. In 1980, Juneteenth became a statewide holiday in Texas, with 47 states following suit. But it wasn’t until the racial reckoning of 2020 that many Americans were even made aware of the holiday. A campaign was soon launched to recognize it federally, and in 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday—which means one year later, the party is just getting started.

Here are some of the best and most compelling Juneteenth—AKA Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, or Liberation Day—celebrations going down around the US…

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