EU member countries are getting closer to a decision on implementing a green vaccination passport in time for summer travel. John Walker / Getting Images
The view of Palm Jumeirah island from Jumeirah Beach. Arvin Mantilla / Getty
Delta and Spirit are among airlines reporting an uptick in bookings this spring. Tony Webster / Flickr
A guest room at the Envision Hotel Boston-Everett. Choice Hotels
Passengers at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany. European airlines want the EU to permit them to issue vouchers rather than refunds for cancelled flights. Romain Mathon / Unsplash
Sam Feigeles (pictured), vice president of food and beverage at hotel ghost kitchen platform Butler Hospitality, makes sure operations succeed at these spaces and the hotels depending on them. Butler Hospitality
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Disney World’s marketing videos show safety protocols, unlike Visit Orlando’s new campaign. Thomas Evraert / Unsplash
When planning a trip to Australia, Sydney Harbor Bridge may be the first thing to come to mind, or you might picture the iconic wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas, or echidnas. However thereās so much more to OZ, and you could spend weeks (or months) exploring and still not see it all! Whether youāre looking for a great brunch spot, a beautiful place to hike, or a chance to meet some koalas, there is a place thatās perfect for you.
Hobart is Tasmaniaās capital city and itās full of old buildings and beautiful outdoor attractions. Stop by the award-winning Salamanca Market and pick up some locally made bath and body products, artwork, and clothing, amongst other things.
If youāre more of an outdoorsy type, you wonāt be disappointed by all of the incredible opportunities to go hiking and experience the stunning landscape of the area. Spend a day exploring Freycinet National Park or go hiking at the Bay of Fires.
If youāre a foodie, one of the guided food tours of Bruny Island is a canāt-miss excursion as well!
If youāre making the trip to Hobart, make sure to rent a car and book a stay at some of the incredible Airbnbs in the area. Captains Rest in Strahan is an incredible waterfront private cabin with a kitchenette. Itās a great place for a relaxing and unique environment.
Whatever you choose to do in Hobart, youāll appreciate this off-the-beaten-path destination!
Melbourne, Victoria (pronounced āMel-binā by locals) will grace most Australia bucket lists, and when you visit youāll see why! Itās slightly more urban than other destinations on this list and has a thriving coffee and brunch culture.
Just a few minutes away from the city center lies the 12 Apostles. These limestone stone stacks jut out from the ocean. Contrary to what their name might suggest, there have only ever been eight āapostlesā. One collapsed in 2005, but you can still see the rest of them today!
If youāre looking to experience the natural beauty of Australia and want to see the rainforests and wildlife up close, Daintree, Queensland is your best bet! You can go snorkeling or scuba diving near the famous Great Barrier Reef.
For a truly unique place to stay, consider Daintree Ecolodge. Instead of a standard room, you can stay in one of the 15 treehouses located throughout the property. Itās located in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest and is a great place to disconnect and enjoy the lush green environment.
You can have dinner on the balcony of the Julaymba Restaurant and try one of the meals from the degustation menu which focuses on small plates, engaging all of your senses, and elevating the entire culinary experience.
Famous for its beautiful weather, art, and foodie culture, Brisbane (pronounced āBris-binā) is Australiaās third-largest city and a popular retreat for Australians and tourists alike!
Visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and get a picture with a koala, snake, or baby crocodile! The sanctuary has been providing refuge and care for many of Australiaās sick or injured animals since 1927.
Just an hour north of Brisbane lies Australiaās Sunshine Coast. This beautiful area is a prime surfing destination whether youāre a seasoned expert or not. There are many places where you can book lessons and rent surfboards in the area.
For a more peaceful activity, try a class at the Union Yoga Collective in Maroochydore. They provide the equipment ā all you have to bring is yourself.
One of the Sunshine Coastās famous destinations is the Australia Zoo. This famous wildlife conservatory was started by Steve Irwinās parents and is still run by the family to this day!Ā
Australiaās Northern Territory has many stunning outdoor attractions. One of the most famous is Uluru, which you might know better as Ayers Rock. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Australiaās most famous landmarks and a great place to visit if you enjoy hiking and walking.
Just know that you canāt scale the rock face anymore. The climb is incredibly dangerous, and the spot holds a religious and cultural significance for the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area.
Kings Canyon is also an impressive outdoor attraction in the Northern Territory. The walls of the canyon are nearly 330 feet high, and itās a great place to take in the sunrise and be greeted by some of the first rays to reach the park.
Take an opportunity to dine under the stars which hang in the night sky over the dining area of the Kings Canyon Resort. A helicopter tour over the landscape allows a one-of-a-kind view of the breathtaking landscape.
Australiaās Gold Coast is notable for its world-renowned surfing beaches with waves to challenge experienced surfers or to encourage novices. For the less aquatically adept, the Warner Brothers Movie World is a top destination with some of the best roller coasters and thrill rides in Australia.
A boat trip along the coast lets you cool off with some sea mist even if you donāt want to jump into the blue waters.
For a change of pace head to Byron Bay. This city gets its name from an Aboriginal word for āmeeting placeā and lives up to that name.
Byron Bay has been a popular destination for visitors for decades. In the 1800s, Byron Bay had a gold rush which is what led to more permanent residents, and from there the city grew. A trip up to the lighthouse, constructed in 1901, provides a great view of the city and waters below.
Plenty of trails and beaches make this an outdoor haven for surfers, backpackers, and outdoors lovers from all over the world. There are also many nearby national parks where you can marvel at the natural beauty of Australia.Ā
Adelaide is Australiaās fifth-largest city and has been an important city throughout the countryās history. It has a lot of the culture of Australiaās larger cities but is far less chaotic.
Make a pit stop at the German town of Hahndorf for a day of wine tasting, sampling pretzels, and strolling around. The culture of this unique destination is due to the influx of German settlers who arrived here in the mid-1800s.
If you enjoy wine, head to Barossa Valley. This region has a perfect climate for wine production and you can visit any of the major vineyards that are located here.
If youāre looking to unwind on a beautiful island, the 74 Whitsunday Islands are a great option to consider. Itās the place to be if youāre looking for sparkling sandy beaches and deep blue water that you can swim, scuba, or snorkel in.
Itās also the place to be if you want to experience the Great Barrier Reef. This coral reef is the worldās largest and is often considered one of the seven natural wonders of the modern world. It can be seen from outer space!
Kakadu National Park is located 106 miles southeast of Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory. It became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1981 when it was recognized for cultural and natural significance.
There are many paintings that were created by the Aboriginal people of the region. Many of the paintings are still well preserved which is impressive considering some are over 20,000 years old!
This national park is a great place to hike and explore!
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The post 10 Places to Visit in Australia (That Arenāt Sydney) appeared first on The Blonde Abroad.
A few days ago, as I was combing through my own Facebook fan page, something I do from time to time because I somehow tend to miss a few of the messages that readers leave on the page, I noticed a message that I had in fact not noticed before.
It was a very upbeat note, full of genuine curiosity and it also included a question. This reader wanted to know, āWhy travel so much?ā She just couldnāt understand why someone would be so attracted to travel and why someone would not want to live a simple, stable, more traditional life in one place.
While this might seem like a silly question to some of you, itās important to realize that, as many of our high school teachers liked to say, āthere is no such thing as a silly questionā. For some people, the thought of travel is just not as exciting as it is to others. Some people donāt dream of faraway lands or have any desire to visit countries and cultures that are different from their own.
And thatās fine of course. I certainly donāt expect everyone on the planet to want the same things out of life and however anyone chooses to live, as long as theyāre happy with that choice, Iām happy for them.
With that said, I naturally wanted to provide an answer to this readerās question and so I quickly left a response on Facebook with a few lines about travel giving me an opportunity to see the world with my own eyes. Short and basic.
But over the next couple of days, I kept thinking about her question, over and over again. Itās not so much that I started to wonder why on earth I do travel so much, but instead, I began to wonder how I could even begin to explain the core reasons of why Iāve decided to live this traveling lifestyle for so long.
I guess I could talk about the beautiful islands, the mysterious cities, the unique cultures, the spectacular natural wonders and of course the people from all walks of life that have had a major impact on me over the years.
Those are all perfectly good reasons. But at the same time, they donāt seem sufficient.
It was while I was eating a bowl of pasta last night that I suddenly thought of a more suitable response. And it all has to do with a recent experience, a very simple experience, that essentially defines my desire to travel so much.
Two weeks ago, as I wrote about already, I went on a four-day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. The purpose of this trip was to spend some time with three of my friends.
So, after flying from Bucharest to Vienna (the Vienna airport is only 40 minutes from Bratislava) there we were, the four of us ā two Romanians, one Kazakh and one American ā spending time together in Slovakia. We ate at local Slovakian restaurants, we drank Moldovan wines and Czech beers, we spent an evening searching for nebulas, star clusters and distant galaxies in an empty field just across the Hungarian border, we went to the cinema one afternoon and watched a film about India. We spoke about my friendās desire to live in France, about all of our travels to Istanbul, about my time working on board cruise ships and about whether or not we should all participate in the Mongol Rally (a car āraceā from Prague to Mongolia) next year.
And during that same trip, I also had a Skype call with a friend of mine from Australia, I made plans with another friend from the US to meet up in Montenegro in July and I received an email from an Italian friend of mine whom I hadnāt heard from in over a year and who just moved to Brazil, as one does.
This is exactly why I travel so much.
My life has become a combination of destinations, interactions, concepts, opportunities, friendships, challenges and realities that were once so very foreign or unknown to me. After twelve years of travel, the entire world now feels like my home. And itās the resulting diversity of experiences and people in my life that ultimately lead to an increased appreciation of all that I encounter during my adventures.
The more I learn about other people and places, and the greater variety of experiences I have, I understand that very little differentiates us as human beings. We are all made of the same material, we all have the same ups and downs, we all are trying to do our best during our time on Earth. The result is a strong realization that getting upset over small things, sowing negativity or acting out without really understanding a situation, is simply not useful.
Instead, Iāve learned to relax, take things as they come, understand the beauty that connects us all and try to proceed with as much positivity as possible.
While that Moldovan wine I drank in Bratislava might not have been the best wine Iāve ever tried, I fully appreciated and enjoyed the experience of drinking something I would never have tasted had I never traveled, while sitting in a backyard overlooking a city that I would never have known anything about, talking about plans I would never have believed to be possible and surrounded by good people I would never have met. How perfect is that?
And the fact that this is how I feel when in such situations provides all the motivation I need to continue living this lifestyle.
*Again, Iām not saying that everyone should want to live this lifestyleā¦not at all. Iām just answering the question that was asked, hopefully showing why this lifestyle is so appealing to me.
I wonder, why do you travel? Or, if youāre not traveling yet, why do you want to travel in the first place?
The post Why I Travel So Much appeared first on Wandering Earl.
The American Society of Travel Advisors says most U.S. agencies won’t survive past 2021 without federal support. anyaberkut / Getty Images
Loews and Omni are finally linking up in a sales and marketing deal that could eventually extend to the meetings and events side of their similar businesses. Omni Hotels & Resorts
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