Travel10

Isla Holbox is a small, slender island just north of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. Mexicans have long been in the know about this laid-back, go-everywhere-in-flip-flops getaway, but the news of Holbox's beauty and ease of living has started to get out. Though it's in the state of Quintana Roo not far from Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Holbox's vibe is more barefoot on the beach than late nights at the club. If that weren't incentive enough, it's also a gorgeous destination, with clear green-blue waters in every direction. How to get there Ferries from the small town of Chiquila pick up throughout the day, and you often don't need to make a reservation in advance. Getting to Chiquila, however, can be a travel challenge if you can't or don't want to drive. There are two buses a day from Playa del Carmen, and taxis will be pricey. If you do drive, the trip to Chiquila is 2-3 hours (depending on traffic and whether you t...

From a formerly enslaved person's home to the most famous US road, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has included both well-known and forgotten historic sites on its 2018 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. While nearly 300 places have been included on the list over the past 31 years, the list has a good record: Less than 5% of listed sites have been lost during that time. The National Trust creates the annual list to highlight examples of architectural and cultural heritage that could be relegated to the dustbins of history without intervention. The National Trust's 2018 list includes a mix of historic locations that could be lost due to of lack of maintenance, damage from natural disasters, or are subject to development proposals which would change the character of these national treasures, says Stephanie K. Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 1. Annapolis City Dock Area -- Annapolis, Maryla...

The leisure safari was born in the 1920s when well-heeled Europeans and Americans flocked to Africa to see (and shoot) the remarkable wildlife. Reflecting the excess of the Roaring Twenties they traveled in style -- tented camps outfitted with satin sheets and silver servings, gramophones and gourmet food and, of course, endless gin and tonics. With safaris led by the legendary big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton and celebrity visitors as varied as Ernest Hemingway, Prince Edward (before he was Duke of Windsor) and Teddy Roosevelt, Kenya set the safari bar higher than anywhere else in Africa. And it continues that way today. Kenya continues to push the outer edge of the wilderness envelope in ways that visitors in the 1920s could not ever have imagined. From tricked-out safari trucks and lavish private planes to "tents" that could easily double as Park Avenue penthouses, the modern Kenyan safari doubles down on comfort and pampering. Read on to discover eight o...

Zao Onsen, Japan — As the cable car glides up the mountain in Japan's Yamagata prefecture, the snow-covered fir trees below begin to transform, taking on a bulkier appearance as their green coats disappear under a mass of white. Soon they become unrecognizable, completely engulfed in fluffy piles of snow. The volume in the car increases a few decibels. Passengers excitedly raise their voices, snowboards and skis scraping across the floor as riders shuffle to move into better viewing positions to take in the incredible landscape below. It's a common reaction among those first encountering the legendary "snow monsters" of Zao Onsen -- or "juhyo" in Japanese. The excitement intensifies when passengers exit the tram and set out to explore the mysterious figures up close -- some on foot, others clutching their riding gear, ready to glide through the monsters as they make their way down the mountain. Do you want to build a snowman, Tim? The juhy...

Founded in 1690 on the banks of the river Hooghly, Kolkata -- or as it was known until 2001, Calcutta -- quickly grew from a fishing village into a flourishing colonial metropolis and served as the British imperial capital until 1911. Unlike other large cities in India, the capital of West Bengal has retained a great deal of charm, not least because hundreds of magnificent decaying buildings dating back to the British occupation have survived more or less intact -- giant government edifices, local mansions and historic hotels among them. Kolkata's cityscape offers a glimpse of times past: the commerce, culture and struggle of the subcontinent. "The people of Kolkata love their city's monuments, no matter who built them. There's a bit of East and West here and that's the way we like it," says Iftekhar Ahsan, owner of Calcutta Walks, a travel tour company that takes visitors on and off the beaten track in the West Bengal capital. Here's our sug...

Every year for just a few weeks, a towering bamboo theater rises from Ap Lei Chau, one of the world's most densely populated islands. As many as 1,000 people will pack the 81-feet-wide, 130-feet-long, and 45-feet-high bamboo behemoth in southern Hong Kong, where a Cantonese opera is staged to celebrate the birthday of Hung Shing, the god of the southern sea -- still a revered figure on this former fishing isle. This is one of about 40 bamboo theaters erected around Hong Kong throughout the year to host performances honoring various Chinese gods. But their construction is something of a mystery. A bamboo theater has no written blueprint. Workers say they build them based on instinct, rapport and experience -- they learn their trade on the job during apprenticeships. Today, less than 100 people in Hong Kong specialize in the craft, says Chan Yuk-kwong, owner of Wah Bo Engineering, which executed the Ap Lei Chau project in 2018 -- and has done so each year for the past ...

Europe's hottest destination for tourists, Berlin offers more than bargain-priced nightclubs and Cold War nostalgia. Some of the most interesting sights in Germany are just a few hours away from the country's capital city -- and with the deregulation of the intercity bus system, getting around is cheaper than ever. Here's a shortlist of three great day trips from Berlin: 1. Potsdam The site of the famous "Potsdam Conference" that negotiated the end of World War II and a series of opulent Hohenzollern palaces, Potsdam lies only about an hour from the center of Berlin, with all the major attractions easily reachable by public transport. It's a day trip not because of the travel time, but because there's so much to see. Highlights include the breathtaking Sanssouci Palace (Maulbeerallee, Potsdam; +49 331 9694200), the former summer residence of Frederick the Great -- who ruled the Prussian Empire from 1740 to 1786. A pale and beautiful Ro...