EVEN IF YOU'VE never contemplated going on a river cruise before, 2024 could be your year. With long-haul airfares at elevated levels and travel disruptions a constant threat, savvy travelers are booking long trips that navigate multiple rivers and maximize the transatlantic journey.
"It's been a huge trend in 2023 and will only expand in 2024," says Samuel Spencer, a travel advisor and the owner of Ocean & River Cruises, an agency in Calgary, Alberta. Spencer notes that four different river-cruise lines-Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises-now offer multi-week trips through France. While some of these longer itineraries pre-date the pandemic, several lines tell T+L that they have recently surged in popularity among Americans.
It's a seismic shift for travelers, who've begrudgingly become accustomed to playing Where's-MyLuggage, navigating crowded museums, and paying enormous premiums for high-quality hotels-particularly in Western Europe. Touring by river ship, which often feels more akin to staying in a luxury hotel than cruising on a ocean liner, can address most of these challenges-all while delivering tremendous value, usually at an allinclusive, up-front price.
Esta historia es de la edición November 2023 de Travel+Leisure US.
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Esta historia es de la edición November 2023 de Travel+Leisure US.
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The Luxury of Silence - Grieving a dissolved marriage, Nora Walsh seeks peace and compassion at a meditation retreat in California.
My decade-long marriage to a man I deeply love had dissolved, and I had come to the Spirit Rock Meditation Center, in the secluded hills of Marin County, north of San Francisco, to steady myself. Led by the author and meditation teacher Oren Jay Sofer, the seven-day silent retreat focused on the four brahmavihāra, or Buddhist virtues: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Family Values - Gay father and blogger Jonathan Bailey shares his proudest moments of traveling with his partner and daughters.
My partner and I grew up in families that didn't travel a lot, so we've always had a sense of wanderlust. Before we had kids, we traveled together, and it was life-changing-travel opened our minds to different ways of life.In 2000, Triton and I decided to have kids. At the time, my mom had terminal cancer, and we were all about connecting with family. We wanted to adopt, because we felt like there were so many children in the world who needed love and a good home. In 2002, my mom passed away, and Sophia was born two weeks later. We welcomed our second daughter, Ava, in 2004.
Back to Sri Lanka - The past few years have not been easy on this alluring South Asian island. But on a return visit, Prasad Ramamurthy finds a place-and a people-on the upswing.
I was at the end of a five-day journey that had begun in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle Fort, in southwestern Sri Lanka, and taken me across the southern tip of the island to the leopard reserve of Yala National Park. In between I had taken in the dramatic coastline of Weligama and had stopped for some beach time in Hiriketiya. Sri Lanka is a country I'm particularly fond of, so when I was asked to revisit to report this story, I seized the opportunity. Yes, I was dying to go back, but I'd had another motive for coming: I wanted to see if the island nation was ready to welcome international visitors again.
Experiences: Hands On - Single-malt whiskies and triple-cream cheeses are the stuff New York's Hudson Valley is made of.
The Hudson Valley has long drawn New York City dwellers in search of clean air, spectacular hikes, and upstate culture. Now a budding community of artisans-young farmers, bakers, vintners, distillers-is turning the region into a modern breadbasket.It is a tightly woven ecosystem that also extends to restaurants and hotels. At Tenmile Distillery, in the town of Wassaic, for example, the grain used to make whiskey comes from a farm in Tivoli, 30 miles away, while the gin and vodka it produces are served at stylish addresses like the Troutbeck (doubles from $580), a hotel in Amenia, and the restaurant Stissing House (entrées $22-$155), in Pine Plains.
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