Forget Oktoberfest!

Story About Baiersbronn

Michelin-starred gourmet hiking in the Black Forest is the grown-up way to celebrate Germany's cuisine and outdoors. We hope you've already checked Munich's incredible Oktoberfest off your travel bucket list, because it really is a young person's game. Staggering from Festhall to Festhall, raucously joining off-key, multi-lingual singing, and belting back beer and sausage with your buddies and thousands of your newest best friends is tons of fun once, but off the menu for most people after 30 or your first couple of children. What should be on your travel list to replace it? Baiersbronn. Michelin Stars in the Black Forest Nestled in the fabled Black Forest across the French-German border from Strasbourg, Baiersbronn is surrounded by clean air, green hills, cold fresh water,... more

Seabourn Launches Holistic Wellness Program with Celebrity Author Dr. Andrew Weil

Story

Program will be incorporated on all Seabourn cruise ships in 2017 For ultra-luxury cruise guests for whom wellness is more than workouts, massages, a spa menu, and the relaxation of a service level where extraordinarily intuitive staff anticipate your every need, Seabourn has created a fleet-wide mindful living program. The new offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being. The new Spa and Wellness program, with acclaimed wellness author and expert Dr. Andrew Weil, will be the first-ever of its kind at sea, and executed in partnership with Seabourn's Onboard Spa by Steiner. Dr. Weil, a pioneer in integrative medicine, will be working with the ultra-luxury cruise line to deliver an range of mind and... more

Exploring the Wild Side of Ireland's Atlantic Way

Story About Ireland

1. Rock climb in Donegal Excellent rock climbing locations are scattered along Donegal’s coastline, and particularly great ascents can be found at Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head. The sea cliffs, slabs and sea stacks of here provide over 100 rock climbs in a stunning, wave bashed locations. Wild Atlantic Way Climbing will provide adventures for all levels. mountaintraining.ie 2. Surf a Sligo wave Perfect surf geology shapes triangulated reefs, river mouth sandbars and assorted beach breaks on the coastline where Donegal morphs into counties Leitrim, Sligo and Mayo. Sligo is one of the hotspots, and the beaches at Strandhill and Enniscrone are perfect for seasoned surfers and learners alike. Loads of surf schools in Sligo are devoted to getting you up on your... more

Video: Vintage Vespas in Tuscany

Story About Tuscany

Italy's iconic scooter is the very symbol of stylish, romantic getaways in Europe. Vespas originated in Tuscany, and on a trip to the Tuscan seaside city of Livorno, BestTrip.TV discovered a local who collects, restores, and displays a collection of colorful vintage Vespas. You can't miss this tour of his showroom and workshop! more

Video: This Historic Hospital is now a Design Hotel

Story About Marseille

If you're looking for a room with a view in Marseille... this is it. The Hotel Dieu might be the the best piece of real estate in Marseille. Part way up the hill next to the historic harbor, occupying the best vantage point overlooking the iconic view of the old port and the church on the opposite hill, Marseille's Hopital Dieu dates back to the 1700's. As a hospital, it served the oldest neighborhood in all of France, where sailors, immigrants from around the Mediterranean, nuns and beggars, artists and artisans thronged. The care center of the community finally closed its doors, and the building sat empty for years... Until a city-wide renaissance of style, design and culture included the transformation of the... more

5 Adventures in Antwerp

Story About Antwerp

Belgium’s unique character and two-language culture makes it a must-see destination in Northern Europe. But go beyond Brussels. One of Europe's hidden gems is Belgium's second city. Just up the estuary from the North Sea, Antwerp's historic port became its claim to fame and source of wealth as a trading capital 500 years ago. The port is still the second largest in Europe. The wealth of this great trading city financed great art and artists, the world's oldest stock exchange, and an historic core of richly elaborate Flemish buildings. Photo Credit BestTrip.TV's producer/host Lynn Elmhirst shares her favorite things about Antwerp. History with a Quirk Distinctive historic Flemish architecture reflects Antwerp's power in its heyday, including the magnificent Town Hall, guild halls, and Notre Dame... more

Is the Modern Travel Luxury... Sleep?

Story

You can't enjoy life - even luxury travel - if you don't have sleep. That's the premise of the new ship-board wellness program on Celebrity Cruises in conjunction with its spa and wellness partner Canyon Ranch SpaClub. It's not just about getting your 'beauty sleep' these days. It's about stressful lifestyles and poor sleeping habits that have left many of us chronically exhausted. That takes the fun out of even the most amazing travel experience or destination. So what better time than on vacation to not only catch up on some rest and relaxation – but also to experience new sleep treatments that can help you improve your sleep even after your holiday? Especially after your holiday? Celebrity Cruises and onboard Canyon Ranch SpaClub... more

Where's the Coolest Place to do Yoga in Vancouver?

Story About Vancouver

It's where stand up paddleboard meets downward dog – in a South Beach-style pool overlooking Vancouver's seawall and mountains. The latest trend in West Coast wellness lifestyle, the stand up paddleboard (SUP), is well established in Vancouver. And yoga? Well that's a no-brainer. But it took local SUP pioneer and yoga instructor Kristy Wright Schell to bring the two together and introduce them to Vancouver. And the Westin Bayshore's programming team to take notice and make Kristy's 'Liquid Yoga' part of the hotel's pool lifestyle. The stunning hotel pool gives participants an opportunity to practice yoga in the open sea air, embracing the quintessential experience of Vancouver's West Coast lifestyle but in the security of a pool as an aquatic yoga studio, rather... more

Visit This: Underwater Winery in Croatia

Story About Dubrovnik

Drinking and diving don't mix, but we've found one exception. At the Edivo Vina winery about an hour north of the Croatian seaside town of Dubrovnik, you need to slip into a wet suit for a cellar tour. That's because this winery stores and ages their – aptly named – 'Navis Mysterium' or 'Sea Mystery' wine – 20 meters (66 feet) under water. Sea Mystery wine begins life above ground as other wines do. The regional grapes are harvested, pressed and bottled, then aged for three months on land. Then it gets interesting. Cork and two layers of rubber seal the bottles which are then enclosed in amphorae – locally made clay vessels like the ones used in ancient Greece with a narrow... more

A New Place for the Best Views of Old Havana

Story About Havana

The Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana has opened in Havana. It's the Cuban capital's first five-star luxury hotel, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Havana. And it is the first foray into the Americas for Europe's oldest luxury hotel group Kempinski. The hotel is a revival of an historic six-story colonnaded building begun in the late 1800's. It lived through various incarnations as Cuba's first European-style department store, a silent film theater, and later, government offices, slowly decaying like much of the historic architecture in isolated Cuba. Its re-imagination as a luxury hotel brings the Manzana building back to its glory days… and then some. Now as a 246-room urban lifestyle hotel, the Gran Hotel... more

Paris Landmark Hotel Re-Opens after $200-million Renovation

Story About Paris

When you renovate a palatial, historic landmark on one of the most famously elegant squares in one of the most fabled travel destinations in the world, there's a lot at stake. The Hotel de Crillon has dominated Paris' storied Place de la Concorde since the 1700's. Originally the Parisian home of the illustrious Count de Crillon, the palace has been the site of world-changing events, where Marie Antoinette had music lessons, international treaties were signed (including French recognition of the American Declaration of Independence), and a hotel since 1909 where celebrities, aristocracy, royalty, politicians and artists continued to make history. Now after its 4-year renovation, its latest re-invention has been revealed. We aren't disappointed. With incredible vision and work by world-renowned architects,... more

Video: Top Reasons to Cruise the Mediterranean in Small-Ship Luxury

Story About Mediterranean Sea

With its ancient seafaring history and traditions, the most natural and authentic way to explore the Mediterranean and to take in its most magnificent vistas is by sea. And as BestTrip.TV discovered, the luxury small-ship experience of Silversea cruises brings the best of the Mediterranean to life. Here's why. more

Putting on the Ritz... At Sea

Story

The Ritz-Carlton is the first luxury hotel chain to take to the seas with its new yacht collection. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection launches in 2019 with the first of three cruising yachts. If you're already a fan of the Ritz-Carlton hotel experience, you'll feel right at home: legendary service, luxury amenities and beautifully designed spaces… now on board a specially designed, small capacity ship. It makes parent company Marriott International the only luxury hotelier on both land and sea. Each of the three custom-built yachts in the fleet features 149 suites, each with its own private balcony, several lavish duplexes, a spa, a signature restaurant and a bar with on-board entertainment. Mirroring the hotels, the yachts feature modern craftsmanship and style; the... more

Video: Fogo Island Inn: Daring Design meets Ancient Fishing Community

Story About Newfoundland and Labrador

In colorful Newfoundland turn of phrase, you might say that Fogo Island is far away from far away. The island is remote; only accessible by ferries and helicopter flights that defy dramatic weather and waves to drop visitors on a a rocky outpost in the North Atlantic that until recently was a centuries-old, declining fishing community. This is not where you might expect to find a hotel that has won world-wide acclaim for its architecture, experience, social responsibility, and design. Designer Karen Sealy and BestTrip.TV visited the extraordinary Fogo Island Inn to see what happens when local maritime craftsmanship meets 21st century global design. Start your Trip! more

The 'Height' of Luxury: Train and Stay in Peru's Andes

Story About Peru

South America has its first luxury sleeper train. The Belmond Andean Explorer pioneers a new way to discover Peru on its two-night journeys at altitudes of up to 4,800 metres climbing in the Andes en route from Cusco to Arequipa. It's one of the world's highest rail routes, and you'll be glued to the large picture windows as the elegant carriages take you through some of the most breathtaking scenery on our planet. Expect to see vast, uninterrupted views of snow-capped mountains, never-ending skies, majestic lakes and herds of alpacas, llamas and vicunas grazing on the altiplano. Peruvian Touches The design of the sleeper cars reflects Peruvian culture, mixing vibrant colors with natural tones and large picture windows offering the perfect vantage point... more