Category: Travel

Travel: Finding happiness in Salamanca and Toledo

Loknath Das

I have passed too many autumns to be excited about a toy train ride. Even during my childhood in Kolkata, I hardly ever jumped on a toy train because of two reasons. One, I had a better option: trams. Two, there was just one such train in Communist-ruled Kolkata. But in Toledo, a ride in the city’s tourist toy train from Plaza de Zocodover is the best way to see the medieval marvel that sits pretty on an undulating terrain like an umbrella food cover with the Tagus river wrapped…

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The Most Popular International Travel Destinations in All 50 States

Loknath Das

We all dream of hopping on a plane and jetting off to some picture-perfect destination. Sometimes it’s a warm beach with a cold drink, sometimes a historic city with hidden gems to discover. No matter where you dream of going, you’re likely not alone. Most people in America tend to travel to Mexico, Canada and Europe when they pull out their passports, according to data compiled by Orbitz. And while travel within the U.S. is still the most popular choice for Americans, Mel Dohmen, the senior brand manager for Orbitz, told Travel + Leisure that visits to Southeast…

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The Best Winter Travel Packages

Loknath Das

From the beaches of Hawaii to the mountains of Montana, winter getaway deals for every kind of traveler. KA’ANAPALI BEACH HOTEL There are two types of winter travelers. Those who head north to enjoy the activities associated with fresh mountain air, such as skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even dog sledding. Then there are the snowbirds, people who fly south at the first sign of winter in search of sandy beaches and endless sunshine. Regardless of your preference, resorts and hotels often offer specially discounted packages designed to entice guests…

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Prince Harry Announces Massive Travel Sustainability Project with Key Partners of Industry

Loknath Das

New York: The eco-minded Prince Harry is embarking on a massive travel sustainability initiative in partnership with key travel providers. They aim to improve the practices of the global industry amid an ever-increasing number of travelers. The Duke of Sussex picked Amsterdam, a city hit hard by over-tourism, to announce Travalyst at a news conference Tuesday with his partners, Booking.com; TripAdvisor; Visa; China’s largest travel company, Ctrip; and the Ctrip-owned fare aggregator Skyscanner. The long-term initiative is focused on tackling the travel industry’s impact on climate change, improving wildlife conservation,…

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Travel activities that are no longer acceptable: Six that I regret

Loknath Das

Nobody’s perfect. We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all done things we later regret. We’ve all taken part in experiences that we’ve later realised were a bad idea. That’s because things change. Perceptions change. Ideas change. What’s right and what’s wrong alters over time. Things that were once encouraged suddenly become things that aren’t. This is as true of travel as anything else. You look back on some of the experiences you had over the years and realise that they definitely would not be OK if you tried them on today.…

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Into The Wild: 3 Places To Travel If You Love The Outdoors

Loknath Das

A Taquan Air floatplane glides above Southeast Alaska on a flightseeing tour TAQUAN AIR Though Jon Krakauer rendered the phrase immortal in his nonfiction account of an ill-fated young man who ventured into the Alaskan wilderness, the allure of going ‘into the wild’ predates his book’s 1998 publication date. (Though, of course, Alaska is featured on our list, because—why wouldn’t it be?) This call of the wild (to borrow from another author, Jack London), has been around since time immemorial. It’s a transcendent impulse, memorably chronicled by the late poet,…

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Canada bars consulate staff from travelling outside Hong Kong

Loknath Das

The Canadian consulate in Hong Kong has barred local staff from leaving the city on official business following the detention of a British consulate worker in mainland China. Announcing the travel restriction on Friday, Canada did not say whether it was related to the detention of Simon Cheng, who went missing two weeks ago from Hong Kong’s high-speed rail terminal to Shenzhen, a mainland city just across the border from the self-governing territory. “At present, locally engaged staff will not undertake official business travel outside of Hong Kong,” the Canadian Consulate said in a statement. The…

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The Best Speakers for Travel

Loknath Das

When you hit the road, you want your tunes to come with you. But sometimes a pair of earphones—even noise-cancelling headphones—just isn’t enough. Whether it be serving as impromptu DJ for your friends or enhancing a presentation with a soundtrack, you need a portable speaker. Here are the best speakers for travelers that will let you pump up the volume without weighing you down. JBL Clip 3 JBL Clip 3 JBL If you’re looking for the most portable speaker out there, the JBL Clip 3 is the best option to…

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Sustainable travel has an image problem. Let’s fix it

Loknath Das

Sustainable travel is described as the hottest trend in the travel industry. Around the world, businesses ranging from high-end properties to mass tour operators recognize that offering sustainable choices is essential to ensuring that destinations are protected and continue to generate income. In India, too, travel companies like SOTC and Thomas Cook have added to their sustainable travel offerings over the past year. Despite this, sustainable travel seems to have an image problem. Travellers often don’t know how it is defined, or what it can involve. According to a 2019…

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Why Travel? Find Joy When You Leave (Or Stay) Home

Loknath Das

Travel. It seems like we all love to do it — or love to say we love it. But what is it really for? Why do we get away, and how does it give us meaning? Here are six ways to find fulfillment wherever you go, whether it’s around the corner or around the world. 1. Meaning is what you make it. A meaningful time isn’t necessarily a good time — or a bad time. You bring the context to your experience, and it might include having tough conversations, going through a…

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