By Ed Boitano

The best films of 2023 proved to be an eclectic and exciting mix of thought provoking cinema. Narratives ranged from genocide, lost loves and rebirth, immigrant experiences, stories pulled from headlines and a teacher with a distracting lazy eye at a small boarding school in New England. The year was rich with directorial vision and personal styles: the unblemished truth by documentarian Frederick Wiseman, lonely science fiction from Andrew Haigh, the exploding imagery of Martin Scorsese, Justine Triet’s moments of tensity, the Bressonian minimalism of Aki Kaurismäki and Jonathan Glazer’s dialectical montage with the collision of image and sound.

Only time will tell if the list of films stands the test of time. As Jean Renoir once said, The best films are those that leave a lasting impact, that linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

15 TOP FILMS FROM 2023

1. The Zone of Interest:
   Jonathan Glazer (UK)
2. Past Lives:
   Celine Song (US)
3. Killers of the Flower Moon:
   Martin Scorsese (US)
4. Fallen Leaves:
   Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, Germany)
5. May December:
   Todd Haynes (US)
6. All of Us Strangers:
   Andrew Haigh (UK)
7. Anatomy of a Fall:
   Justine Triet (France)
8. Showing Up:
   Kelly Reichardt (US)
9. Passages:
   Ira Sachs (France)
10. Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros:
    Frederick Wiseman (France, US)
11. Poor Things:
    Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, US, Ireland)
12. Return to Seoul:
    Davy Chou (France, Germany, Belgium, Qatar, Cambodia)
13. The Holdovers:
    Alexander Payne (US)
14. Trailer of the Film That Will Never Exist: “Phony Wars”:
    Jean-Luc Godard (France, Switzerland)
15. Oppenheimer:
    Christopher Nolan (UK)

BEST DIRECTOR

Jonathan Glazer/The Zone of Interest

Runner-up: Martin Scorsese/Killers of the Flower Moon

BEST DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Celine Song/Past Lives

Runner-Up: Raine Allen-Miller/Rye Lane

BEST MALE ACTOR

Franz Rogowski/Passages

Runner-Up: Cillian Murphy/Oppenheimer

BEST FEMALE ACTOR

Greta Lee/Past Lives

Runner-Up: Sandra Huller/Anatomy of a Fall & The Zone of Interest

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR

Robert De Niro/Killers of the Flower Moon

Runner-Up: Robert Downey, Jr/Oppenheimer

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR

Tilda Swinton/The Killer

Runner-Up: Rachel McAdams/Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

BEST ACTING DEBUT

Park Ji-Min/Return to Seoul

Runner-Up: Dominic Sessa/The Holdovers

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Rodrigo Prieto/Killers of the Flower Moon & Barbie

Runner-Up: Hoyte Van Hoytema/Oppenheimer

Best Original Screenplay

Samy Burch/May December

Runner-Up: Celine Song/Past Lives

Best Original Score

Mica Levi/The Zone of Interest

Runner-Up: Robbie Robertson/Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Editing

Thelma Schoonmaker/Killers of the Flower Moon

Runner-Up: Laurent Senechal/Anatomy of a Fall

Best Sound Effects

Johnnie Burn/The Zone of Interest

Runner-Up: Mark Ulano/Killers of the Flower Moon

Most Disappointing Film

Silent Night/John Woo

Runner-Up: Barbie/Greta Gerwig

The post Traveling Boy Selects Top Films From 2023 appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Ron Howard was born into a show biz family making his acting debut at the ripe old age of 18 months. He made his screen debut at when he turned four and has spent his entire life in Hollywood with his breakout role as Opie Taylor on the “The Andy Griffith Show” shining a national spotlight on this adorable little kid from Duncan, Oklahoma.  As he grew up, he transitioned into playing teenagers on such television series as “Happy Days,” “The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang,”  “Laverne & Shirley,” and “Love, American Style.” He had co-starring roles in movies made for television as well as a part in the iconic coming-of-age film “American Graffiti.”

Over the course of his amazing career, Ron has won 39 awards which include, two Academy Awards, (“A Beautiful Mind,” and “Apollo 13”) four Emmys, a Grammy, two Golden Globes and was nominated for seven BAFTA Awards and was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 2001. He was honored twice by receiving two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television and motion picture industries.

There are too many films to list but some of the most memorable include, “Cocoon,” “Splash,” “Parenthood,” “Cinderella Man,” Rush,” “Backdraft,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels & Demons,” and “Frost/Nixon.” Ron is a national treasure with a reputation of being one of the nicest people in Hollywood, which is attested to by the famous actors with whom he has worked including, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Gary Sinise, Daryl Hannah, Robert Duvall, Steve Martin, Michael Keaton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Ewan McGregor, Henry Winkler, and Bill Paxton.  Ron is married to Cheryl Howard and they have four children:  Bryce Dallas, twins Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige, and their son Reed Cross.

Recap:  In Part 1 Ron discussed the making of “Pavarotti.”  His goal was to illuminate the life and times of the world’s most famous tenor.  The documentary includes interviews with Pavarotti’s family as well as rare archival footage.  The film is CBS Films Polygram Entertainment Brian Grazer presentation, an Imagine Entertainment and White Horse Pictures production, and is scheduled to open in select cities on June 7.

Following is Part 2 of my exclusive interview with Ron Howard, which has been edited for content and continuity for print purposes.

There is a thru line to your films, which are character-driven with a deep sensitivity to the human condition.  Why is that your preference?

Ron: I always think about character-driven stories.  As a fan, those are the stories that reach me the most deeply.  I can appreciate a good action movie or a fantasy that isn’t character driven and some of them are great.  But the movies and television shows that resonate with me are the ones where the characters are tested in ways that I find fascinating or I relate to or I feel I learned something through observing their journey – whether it’s fiction or based on real events.

A lot of young actors don’t make a healthy transition.  Some become drug addicts, some commit suicide.  Obviously, you never fell prey to some of the pitfalls of early success and the inherent financial rewards.  Another transition was when you decided you wanted to direct.  How was that received by the industry?

Ron:  That was another time and there were access limitations.  There was no cable, there were just three television channels and no independent stations, there was no Sundance, or independent film markets so it was a much more closed industry.   Generally, people were pretty patronizing when I would say that I wanted to direct.  They’d say how cute and someday I’m sure you will.  I was just chafing to do it now.  My dream was to direct a movie while I was still a teenager which I didn’t achieve, but my first film rolled the day after my 23rd birthday so I didn’t miss it by too much.

What grabs you when you’re reading a script?

Ron:  Usually it’s a surprise.  There’s something fresh about the setting and I like the way the characters are behaving within that setting and I feel like the script is offering the audience something fresh.

How do you set up your scenes with your actors?

Ron:  Through rehearsals and conversations, I try to understand what makes them tick as artists and I try to create an environment, which will allow them to excel.  I make known aspects of the scene that I think are important.  Some actors really want to talk about their characters and delve into it while others are very self-sufficient and lose something if they over articulate it or over analyze it.  As a director, I like to feel that I adapt my approach to what I think will allow the actor to really soar.

When you’re working with a narrative script, do you allow for improvisations or changes to the script as you’re shooting?

Ron:  It depends a little bit on the nature of it.  If I think the actor or actress has a gift, I’m definitely more inclined to try to open up some time in the schedule to let them improvise.   You wouldn’t think it, but the movie “Cocoon” had a lot of improvisation in it.  Other movies like “Parenthood” were very loose and very realistic and had very little improv.  It was tightly scripted and worked.  Even “Arrested Development” was initially supposed to have a lot of improvisation, but the scripts were so tight that while the actors might riff a little bit here and there, they just stuck with Mitch’s writing (Mitchell Hurwitz).  It gets down to how are we using our resources for the best effect.  Is it through improv or is it executing the script as written?

In a given week or a month, how many scripts land on your desk?

Ron:  Well, it depends on whether or not I’m shooting.  I’m getting ready to direct a scripted project from Netflix called “Hillbilly Elegy,” which will be starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams.  During the nine weeks of shooting in Georgia and Ohio, I doubt that I’ll be reading any scripts.  When I’m just being co-chairman of Imagine Entertainment, I will read two or three scripts a week.

As always, I look forward to seeing your next film.

Ron:  Thank you so much.  This was fun.

Ron Howard Interview, Part 1: Ron Howard Discusses His Documentary on the Iconic Tenor Luciano Pavarotti

The post Ron Howard on His Career Transition, Script Selection & Directing appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Awards weekend kicked off Friday in an informal, but elegant luncheon on the patio of the Mondrian Hotel where the International Press Academy (IPA), under the leadership of its President, Mirjana Van Blaricom, held its 23^rd Annual Satellite Awards honoring the outstanding achievements of 2018.  IPA is a global association of professional entertainment journalists representing a multitude of print, broadcast, and digital media. Although members vote in film, television and technology categories, only six Special Achievement Awards were presented as follows:

Mary Pickford Award:

Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry: Rade Serbedzija

Tesla Award:

Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology: Kevin Baillie

Auteur Award:

A filmmaker whose singular vision and unique artistic control over the elements of production give a personal and signature style to their films: Ryan Coogler

Partial List of the Winners:

Best First Feature: Rupert Evert, Happy Prince

Best Ensemble:  The Favourite

Best Female Lead: Glenn Close – The Wife

Best Male Lead: Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate

Best Female Lead in Comedy or Musical:  Olivia Colman – The Favourite

Best Male Lead in Comedy or Musical:  Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Supporting Female: Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Supporting Male: Richard Grant:  Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Feature Drama:  If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Independent Feature Drama: BlackKKKlansman

Best Comedy or Musical: A Star is Born

Best International Film: Roma

Go to the International Press Academy’s website for a list of the other winners.

On the next day, after years of rain and windy conditions, the sun god thankfully smiled upon the beautiful Santa Monica beaches where a cluster of tents seemed to spring up overnight for the 34th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2018.  This annual celebration recognizes independent, artist-driven films with a unique vision and made with limited budgets.  The subject matter is often provocative and embodies originality, which many times cannot come to fruition under the auspices of a big studio.  The Independent Spirit Awards recognizes these achievements and promotes the finest films of the year to a wider audience.

Televised live from the main tent, this is a much more informal event where stars are not required to arrive bedecked in thousands of dollars in designer gowns and outrageously expensive jewelry. This annual event, which began as a small grassroots program, has grown into one of the most anticipated film events of the year. Honorees, presenters, guests, and journalists show up from all parts of the globe to honor these outstanding men and women at this assemblage of talented writers, producers, directors, and actors. This year’s host was the adorable Aubrey Plaza, whose wit and charm were a delight as compared to the year Sarah Silverman hosted who brought the proceedings down to a below the gutter level.  Plaza was lots of fun and kept the proceedings moving in a brisk, never a dull moment format. The attendees, most of whom walked the Red Carpet, could kick back and relax and actually enjoy themselves much more so than the more formal Academy Awards ceremony, which would take place the next day.

A sampling of some of the winners included, Glenn Close, who won for Best Female Lead for The Wife, Ethan Hawke won for Best Male Lead for First Reformed, Barry Jenkins picked up another win for his If Beale Street Could Talk, Boots Riley scored for Best First Picture with Sorry To Bother You, which he wrote and directed, Alfonso Cuarón received yet another prize for Roma in the Best Foreign Language category, Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade got the Best First Screenplay nod, Regina King scored Best Supporting Female for If Beale Street Could Talk, with Richard E. Grant winning Best Supporting Male for his role in Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Morgan Neville took home the trophy for Best Documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

2019 Independent Spirit Award Winners:

Best Feature: If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)

Best Director: Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)

Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best First Feature: Sorry To Bother You (Annapurna Pictures)
Director: Boots Riley

Best First Screenplay: Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade (A24)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): En El Séptimo Día (The Cinema Guild)
Writer/Director/Producer: Jim McKay

Best Supporting Female: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)

Best Supporting Male: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Female Lead: Glenn Close, The Wife (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Male Lead: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (A24)

Robert Altman Award: Suspiria (Amazon Studios)
Director: Luca Guadagnino

Best Cinematography: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Suspiria (Amazon Studios)

Best Editing: Joe Bini, You Were Never Really Here (Amazon Studios)

Best International Film: Roma (Mexico – Netflix)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  (Focus Features)
Director/Producer: Morgan Neville

The awards season frenzy is officially over.  Jewelry on loan from some of the most famous designers in the world has been returned to such houses as Tiffany, Dior, Hermes, Mikimoto, Bulgari, Piaget, Graff, Buccellati, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, or Harry Winston.  Make-up and hair Stylists have gone back to their respective salons, tuxedoes and gowns have been put back either in closets or returned to the designers, and a variety of statuettes in different colors, shapes, and weight will grace fireplace mantels.  Now it’s back to drawing boards to create that next special independent film.

The post Awards, Awards & More Awards – The Other Ceremonies appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Happy Black History Month from the Staff at TravelingBoy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

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Traveling Boy’s Fyllis Hockman Wins Silver Excellence in Travel Journalism

The North American Travel Journalists Association’s (NATJA) Travel Media Awards Competition winners were announced February 5, 2018. The Media Awards are given to publications, travel journalists, and photographers whose work was published in print and online media.

Ms. Hockman took the highly-coveted silver for her stunning blog in Traveling Boy, “Exploring Venice: Lost and Found. And Special Finds. Repeat.” in the Byline Travel Column category, where there were over a 1000 entries in the contest.

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Norwegian Named Value Airline of the Year by Air Transport World

Norwegian, the World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Airline of the Year 2017, was named on Feb. 12 the Value the Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World, the leading monthly magazine for the airline industry, and will receive the award at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards on March 28.

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Can’t Be Topped: Neapolitan-Style Pizza Making Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

Courtesy Amy Held, NPR

When a UNESCO World Heritage Site comes to mind, perhaps it has the natural splendor of the Great Barrier Reef or the imposing mastery of the Pyramids of Giza. Now one may look no further than the humble pizza for world heritage status. No, not the frozen kind, the old-school kind baked in a wood-fired oven. Recently, Pizzaiuolo, the art of Neopolitan pizza-making, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO says the designation is meant to safeguard and raise awareness about forms of cultural heritage — often passed down from generation to generation — before they die out.

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Seven Seas Mariner Drydock to Complete Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ $125 Million Fleetwide Refurbishment Program

First all-suite, all-balcony ship to return to Alaskan waters more resplendent than ever and offers three-category upgrade for travelers

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the most inclusive luxury experience, confirmed details for the upcoming bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship. After a 20-day drydock in April 2018 at Chantier Naval de Marseille, Seven Seas Mariner will re-emerge with dramatic new culinary experiences, elegant new suite designs, and completely renewed modern guest spaces. After her drydock refurbishment, Seven Seas Mariner will immediately reposition to the Pacific Northwest to take travelers on a fully immersive, luxury Alaska experience.

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Flights To These Cities Are About To Get Cheap In February

Courtesy Thrillist

Every year, February feels like the dumps. Maybe it’s the realization that our New Year’s resolutions didn’t even make it to Wild Card Weekend.

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2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

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France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

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TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mike England announced that driver’s licenses from all states will be acceptable identification for domestic US air travel until Oct. 1, 2020. Airport signs had previously warned that licenses from some states would no longer be acceptable as of Jan. 22, 2018.

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JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

Buy one flight, get a full year of flights for free. It sounds crazy, but it’s true for the next two weeks, as JetBlue awards travelers who book even one ticket on their website with a chance to win one of three ‘All You Can Jet’ passes for 2018. Dubbed “AYCJ” for short, the pass allows for unlimited travel from February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Hopefully winners are bursting with wanderlust, as these AYCJ passes will be valid for flights to the more than 100 cities on JetBlue’s route map, including international destinations like Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, St. Lucia, and Cartagena, Colombia.

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Countries That Require Visas for Americans

The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

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12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

If you’ve ever wondered whether airport agents perform a necessary function, take a look at the TSA Instagram account. You’ll find a stupefying collection of objects confiscated from passengers, including axes, crossbows, and handguns (and that’s just in the last few days). Acting foolishly, though, can get you delayed from a flight or even detained. To help explain what you shouldn’t do in an airport security line, we tapped Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British infantry officer who is trained in intelligence and has worked in security and crisis management for several corporations, including Goldman-Sachs. These days, he runs How Safe Is My Trip, a company that creates advisory reports for people going to risky destinations.

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Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

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8 Weird Things You’re Allowed to Bring on Planes

Courtesy Stefanie Waldek

Many travelers know the drill when it comes to packing your carry-on bag for a flight. Make sure your bag fits the size and weight requirements. Check to see if you’re allowed to bring a personal item in addition to a full-sized carry-on. No liquids greater than 3.4 ounces, no firearms, no large sharp objects. There are seemingly endless banned items, but if you read the fine print, there’s actually a whole range of odd things that you’re actually allowed to fly with. Here, we name eight such items.

1. Falcons
2. Antlers
3. Christmas Trees
4. Pies and Cakes
5. Cremated Remains
6. Camp Stoves
7. Parachutes
8. Bowling Balls

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

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Can We All Get Along: 2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Olympic Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea open February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18. There has been much concern about North Korea’s presence at the games, but attendees should not feel alarmed for security has been considerably heightened. North Korea’s participation has been hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough that could herald peace on the Korean Peninsula. For the first time, athletes from the North and South will march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony, and the two nations will also enter a joint women’s ice hockey team.

Can We All Get Along

The Olympics bring the world’s best athletes to one stage to compete for their countries. The events and the reasons for the Olympics are much different now than when the ancient Greek Olympics were first recorded in 776 B.C. at Mount Olympia in Greece.

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Reinventing Travel: FlixBus Celebrates Five Years of Booming Business

Five years ago, inspired by the deregulation of the German bus market, the first FlixBus hit the road with a goal of providing green and smart mobility for everyone to experience the world. Today, over 100 million people have travelled across Europe with FlixBus, disrupting the traditional view of long-distance travel and supporting the shared mobility trend.

The success of FlixBus spans multiple demographics, with 60 percent of users being females who choose the green buses as their preferred mode of shared mobility due to the safety, comfort and price point. Thirty-three percent of FlixBus customers are between 18 and 25 years old.

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Austrian Wine Walking Tour

Herzerl Tours’ Austrian Wine Walking Tour has been nominated by InfoHub.com as their Unordinary Trip of the Month. InfoHub is the #1 travel portal on the Internet specialized in the out-of-ordinary, special interest adventures. The tour is a great opportunity to feel the taste of the genuine Austrian wine culture. Herzerl Tours is offering our guests a special prize!

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Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Choosing a volunteer vacation abroad is an increasingly popular option among people looking to do meaningful work during their vacation or career break. You can spend as little as 1 week volunteering in over 30 different countries around the world with Projects Abroad. By spending your vacation as a volunteer with Projects Abroad, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries – working hard, traveling, and having a good time while contributing to long-term impact.

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Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

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Ways to Save in 2018

Eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat this year.

Courtesy Lucas Peterson, New York Times

Last year may have been a disappointing Dumpster fire in countless ways, but it was a great year for travel deals — saving money has never been easier or more accessible to more people. Looking forward to 2018, there’s no reason to think it should be any different. Here are eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat.

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10 of the World’s Craziest Landings

Courtesy Ashley Rossi

These 10 airports have some of the craziest landings in the world. Fretful flyers, you’ve been warned.

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience for fretful travelers; however, landings at these 10 airports are sure to frighten even the most frequent flyers. From an airport at the edge of a cliff to sandy beach landings, here are the world’s craziest runways — consider yourself warned.

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Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

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12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

Luxury travel usually means expensive travel. But you can take upscale vacations without breaking the bank. Here are some outside-the-box ways to get almost as much…for a lot less.

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there. Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs.

Here are some ideas

How to Fight Jet Lag

Being outside during daylight, exercising early and avoiding caffeine, alcohol or nicotine before bedtime can help lessen the effects of jet lag after returning home across time zones. Complete recovery can take multiple days.

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8 Neck Pillows That Won’t Embarrass You on the Plane

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

Some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Skip clunky, over-engineered travel pillows with these simple-yet-effective options.

Unimpressed by some of the newest travel pillows to hit the market? Many are virtually unpackable or outright embarrassing, with armrest-mounted stands or bulky padding that makes them quite the spectacle. Luckily, over-engineered travel pillows aren’t the only way to sleep on the plane; some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Here are eight simple-yet-effective options that won’t embarrass you or take up unnecessary space, making them some of the best neck pillows out there.

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Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Catch Up With the Latest Traveling Boy News appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Journalists from around the world gather to cover this annual celebration honoring the filmmakers who obtain financing outside of the studio system, and therefore are not constricted by studio demands. This allows them to make films that are true to their artistic vision and the Film Independent Spirit Awards honors their achievements.

With Nick Kroll and John Mulaney presiding over this entertaining non-black tie ceremony, celebrity guests and honorees showed up for the pre-show lunch in the familiar Big Tent more dressed than the usual torn jeans with knees poking through.  With no language restrictions, the co-hosts took full comic advantage in both delivering prepared jokes and off-the-cuff remarks, including comments on the epidemic of sexual misconduct with some mention of yes, Harvey Weinstein.  The “anything goes” is at the heart of the Film Independent Spirit Awards and is what makes it unique, relaxed, and fun.

Among some of the presenters were, Fred Armisen, Chadwick Boseman, Alison Brie, Timothée Chalamet, Ava DuVernay, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Danai Gurira, Jon Hamm, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Ben Mendelsohn, Janelle Monáe, Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Olsen, Robert Pattinson, Salma Hayek Pinault, Margot Robbie, Amanda Seyfried, Molly Shannon, Sarah Silverman, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Lena Waithe. Sunflower Bean was the house band.

This year’s major winners were Get Out, which won Best Feature and Best Director; Call Me by Your Name, which won Best Male Lead and Best Cinematography; I, Tonya, which won Best Supporting Female and Best Editing; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which won Best Female Lead and Best Supporting Male; Lady Bird, which won Best Screenplay; Ingrid Goes West, which won Best First Feature; The Big Sick, which won Best First Screenplay; Life and Nothing More, which won the John Cassavetes Award; Faces Places which won Best Documentary and A Fantastic Woman, which won Best International Film.

The coveted Robert Altman Award was given to Mudbound director Dee Rees who accepted on behalf of cast members Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, and Carey Mulligan and casting directors Billy Hopkins and Ashley Ingram.

So once again, thousands of dishes were cleared away and the tents were folded up until next year when Film Independent Spirit Awards would once again return to the little city by the sea to bring its own special brand of celebrating the world of outstanding independent filmmakers.  As far as the weather, it held up just about until the end of the day when the skies suddenly darkened, the temperature dipped, the wind began to blow, and tiny droplets sprinkled on the departing guests.

Following is a complete list of the winners:

Best Feature:
Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele

Best Director:
Jordan Peele, Get Out (Universal Pictures)

Best Screenplay:
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird (A24)

Best First Feature:
Ingrid Goes West (NEON)
Director: Matt Spicer
Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza, Tim White, Trevor White

Best First Screenplay:
Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick (Amazon Studios)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000):
Life and Nothing More (CFI Releasing)
Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza
Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos

Bonnie Award
Chloé Zhao

Best Supporting Female:
Allison Janney, I, Tonya (NEON) 

Best Supporting Male:
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight)         

Best Female Lead:
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight)

Best Male Lead:
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics)

The post On The Beach With Film Independent Spirit Awards appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Happy Valentines from the Staff at TravelingBoy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

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Flights To These Cities Are About To Get Cheap In February

Courtesy Thrillist

Every year, February feels like the dumps. Maybe it’s the realization that our New Year’s resolutions didn’t even make it to Wild Card Weekend.

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Winter Olympics 2018: Here’s What Travelers Need to Know

Courtesy Ed Hewitt, SmarterTravel

Considering a trip to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea? I recommend you go for it. Not only will you be watching the best athletes in the world at their absolute peaks, but you will also find yourself in the middle of a global event with people from all over the world, and with the eyes of the world watching. These factors come together to make the Olympics a very special experience.

Those concerned with security should be heartened by recent news that North Korea has agreed to send athletes to the Winter Olympics this year. The Olympic Winter Games open on February 9 and close on February 25, while the Paralympic Games open March 8 and close on March 18.

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Ways to Save in 2018

Eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat this year.

Courtesy Lucas Peterson, New York Times

Last year may have been a disappointing Dumpster fire in countless ways, but it was a great year for travel deals — saving money has never been easier or more accessible to more people. Looking forward to 2018, there’s no reason to think it should be any different. Here are eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat.

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Flight Deal: $69 on Wow Air to Iceland

It’s been noted in the past that not every $69 flight is worth it. Sometimes, they actually end up more expensive than if you had booked with a more traditional airline. But today, one of the few opportunities to get a real deal is back: Wow Air is offering $69 one-way flights to Iceland. That means round-trip fares as low as $200—nearly 50 percent off the usual cost.

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Make Your New Year Resolutions – Travel-utions

Make 2018 the year you resolve to travel with the World Nomads New Year Travelutions (sorry, we know it’s lame)

Courtesy Phil Sylvester, World Nomads

Travel will make your 2018 one to remember if you follow these New Year travel resolutions.

I Resolve to Get In Shape

There’s nothing like a big challenge on the horizon – say, a Patagonia trek, or a cycling trip through Vietnam, or even two weeks of wearing mostly a bathing suit – to inspire you to hit the gym or go on some training hikes or rides. As part of your trip preparation, make sure to purchase travel insurance for your journey, because injuries and accidents can happen to even the fittest individual.

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TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mike England announced that driver’s licenses from all states will be acceptable identification for domestic US air travel until Oct. 1, 2020. Airport signs had previously warned that licenses from some states would no longer be acceptable as of Jan. 22, 2018.

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The World’s Top 6 Snowiest Cities

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Can You Name The 10 Busiest Airports in the USA

Courtesy  Melanie Renzulli

The United States has some of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, so it stands to reason that the country’s airports are some of the globe’s busiest. In this quick guide, we rank the USA’s busiest airports. For quieter and crowd-free travel alternatives, we’ve also listed nearby airports when available.

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Video Will Make Up 75 Percent of Mobile Traffic in Five Years

That’s up from just over half of all traffic now.

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JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

Buy one flight, get a full year of flights for free. It sounds crazy, but it’s true for the next two weeks, as JetBlue awards travelers who book even one ticket on their website with a chance to win one of three ‘All You Can Jet’ passes for 2018. Dubbed “AYCJ” for short, the pass allows for unlimited travel from February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Hopefully winners are bursting with wanderlust, as these AYCJ passes will be valid for flights to the more than 100 cities on JetBlue’s route map, including international destinations like Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, St. Lucia, and Cartagena, Colombia.

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Cycling Through Cinema Sites in Europe On Freewheel Holidays’ Bike Vacations

The late actress Anita Eckberg showcsed Rome’s allure while splashing in the Trevi Fountain in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita. Scores of movies today have cemented plots in locales that, like the fountain, intersect with planned vacation itineraries offered by leading tour operators.

One trend-setting company, Freewheel Holidays, specializing in self-guided bicycle vacations throughout Europe, offers the chance to visit cinema locations on several of its 2018 itineraries. Included in program rates are lodging with breakfasts, detailed route notes, point-to-point luggage transfers and complimentary bike rentals.

Movie buffs or anyone with a love of history and adventure will enjoy these bike tours:

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Dublin Makes National Geographic Travel “Best Of The World” List

Ireland’s capital city Dublin has been named as one of the 21 best cities in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. The list is an annual selection of “must-see” destination for the year ahead, and Dublin has made a claim for one of the finest cities in the world.

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Countries That Require Visas for Americans

The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

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How to Fight Jet Lag

Being outside during daylight, exercising early and avoiding caffeine, alcohol or nicotine before bedtime can help lessen the effects of jet lag after returning home across time zones. Complete recovery can take multiple days.

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Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

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Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

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France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

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Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Choosing a volunteer vacation abroad is an increasingly popular option among people looking to do meaningful work during their vacation or career break. You can spend as little as 1 week volunteering in over 30 different countries around the world with Projects Abroad. By spending your vacation as a volunteer with Projects Abroad, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries – working hard, traveling, and having a good time while contributing to long-term impact.

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Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

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Canada Forever: The Ultimate Canada Holiday for Every Month

Courtesy Heather Greenwood Davis, SmarterTravel

Canada offers travelers endless inspiration, and experiences you’ll find nowhere else on earth. Every month, there’s a best place to choose for a Canada holiday—and dozens of reasons to book a Canada trip.

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2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

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10 of the World’s Craziest Landings

Courtesy Ashley Rossi

These 10 airports have some of the craziest landings in the world. Fretful flyers, you’ve been warned.

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience for fretful travelers; however, landings at these 10 airports are sure to frighten even the most frequent flyers. From an airport at the edge of a cliff to sandy beach landings, here are the world’s craziest runways — consider yourself warned.

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Amazing New Year Deals: Kenya w/ Air, Alaska, and Cruise Cuba from $549!

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Travel Weekly Honors Winners of 2017 Awards

Travel Weekly just unveiled the winners of the 15th annual Readers Choice Awards during a black-tie gala dinner at the Conrad New York. The winners, in 77 categories ranging from hotels to tours to airlines to GDSs to cruise lines, represent the best of the best in travel.

See the entire list of Readers Choice Awards finalists

Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

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12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

Luxury travel usually means expensive travel. But you can take upscale vacations without breaking the bank. Here are some outside-the-box ways to get almost as much…for a lot less.

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there.

Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs.

Here are some ideas

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

If you’ve ever wondered whether airport agents perform a necessary function, take a look at the TSA Instagram account. You’ll find a stupefying collection of objects confiscated from passengers, including axes, crossbows, and handguns (and that’s just in the last few days). Acting foolishly, though, can get you delayed from a flight or even detained. To help explain what you shouldn’t do in an airport security line, we tapped Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British infantry officer who is trained in intelligence and has worked in security and crisis management for several corporations, including Goldman-Sachs. These days, he runs How Safe Is My Trip, a company that creates advisory reports for people going to risky destinations.

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8 Weird Things You’re Allowed to Bring on Planes

Courtesy Stefanie Waldek

Many travelers know the drill when it comes to packing your carry-on bag for a flight. Make sure your bag fits the size and weight requirements. Check to see if you’re allowed to bring a personal item in addition to a full-sized carry-on. No liquids greater than 3.4 ounces, no firearms, no large sharp objects. There are seemingly endless banned items, but if you read the fine print, there’s actually a whole range of odd things that you’re actually allowed to fly with. Here, we name eight such items.

1. Falcons
2. Antlers
3. Christmas Trees
4. Pies and Cakes
5. Cremated Remains
6. Camp Stoves
7. Parachutes
8. Bowling Balls

8 Neck Pillows That Won’t Embarrass You on the Plane

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

Some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Skip clunky, over-engineered travel pillows with these simple-yet-effective options.

Unimpressed by some of the newest travel pillows to hit the market? Many are virtually unpackable or outright embarrassing, with armrest-mounted stands or bulky padding that makes them quite the spectacle. Luckily, over-engineered travel pillows aren’t the only way to sleep on the plane; some of the best neck pillows are also the most packable. Here are eight simple-yet-effective options that won’t embarrass you or take up unnecessary space, making them some of the best neck pillows out there.

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Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The Best Place to Find Cheap Flights

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The post Catch Up With the Latest Traveling Boy News appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Flight Deal: $69 on Wow Air to Iceland

It’s been noted in the past that not every $69 flight is worth it. Sometimes, they actually end up more expensive than if you had booked with a more traditional airline. But today, one of the few opportunities to get a real deal is back: Wow Air is offering $69 one-way flights to Iceland. That means round-trip fares as low as $200—nearly 50 percent off the usual cost.

Since the northern lights are most active through April, it’s an ideal time to visit Iceland. But there’s much more to do beyond the aurora borealis. You could hop on a tour with Hidden Iceland, an independent travel agency that aims to get you to the most famous spots—Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, the Golden Circle—with local guides who know the best routes to avoid the crowds. Or you could take your trip into your own hands on an Icelandic road-trip, stopping at the lava fields, hot springs, and luxury resorts outside of Reykjavik.

Spanning flights between January 19 and April 24, the deal is available for those flying in and out of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New York City (Newark), Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. And yes, you’ll need to take these fares with a grain of salt if you’re not willing to fly according to the airline’s rules. If you want to take a carry-on bag, it will cost you $40 each way, a checked bag will cost $50 each way, selecting a seat will cost around $8, and meals are between $10 and $15. If you do the bare minimum—a personal item, a carry-on, and a meal—on the six-hour flight from the east coast (or nine-hour from the west), it’ll cost you about $100 in fees, which is still reasonable for the transatlantic flight.

How to book: If the possibility of packing your own food to avoid fees hasn’t scared you away, go to Google Flights to see what days Wow Air flies out of your city. When looking at the calendar, the lowest round-trip fares will be highlighted in green, like $220 for New York City or $200 for Chicago. From there you can book directly on Wow, and make the fee-based decisions that work best for your comfort and budget.

2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

To help travelers make the best decisions for their wallets, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs, which ranks the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 23 key metrics, ranging from the value of a point/mile to blackout dates for rewards flights. WalletHub’s report also features a custom calculator that allows users to personalize the results based on their own budgets. You can find a few highlights from those results below.

• Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the third straight year.
• The average airline rewards program gives frequent flyers 12% off their airline spending. And they’re all free to join.
• Hawaiian Airlines offers the most rewards value to frequent flyers ($19.95 per $100 spent), with Alaska Airlines coming in a close second ($19.87 per $100 spent).
• Four of the 10 largest airlines are offering more rewards in 2018 than in 2017, sweetening the pot by an average of 20%.
• Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are the only two major airlines whose miles do not expire because of inactivity.
• The Frontier Airlines Credit Card and the Lufthansa Credit Card are 2018’s best airline credit cards, according to WalletHub’s editors.

For the full report, including the custom calculator go here.

Mark Twain’s Travel Quotes

New Year’s Day – Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.
Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink, and swore his last oath.
Today, we are a pious and exemplary community.

Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. We shall also reflect pleasantly upon how we did the same old thing last year about this time. However, go in, community. New Year’s is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls, and humbug resolutions, and we wish you to enjoy it with a looseness suited to the greatness of the occasion.

Make Your New Year Resolutions – Travel-utions

Make 2018 the year you resolve to travel with the World Nomads New Year Travelutions (sorry, we know it’s lame)

Courtesy Phil Sylvester, World Nomads

Travel will make your 2018 one to remember if you follow these New Year travel resolutions.

I Resolve to Get In Shape

There’s nothing like a big challenge on the horizon – say, a Patagonia trek, or a cycling trip through Vietnam, or even two weeks of wearing mostly a bathing suit – to inspire you to hit the gym or go on some training hikes or rides. As part of your trip preparation, make sure to purchase travel insurance for your journey, because injuries and accidents can happen to even the fittest individual.

I Resolve to Improve My Work/Life Balance

Taking time off to travel doesn’t need to interfere with your career. In fact, it can even improve it.

According to a recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly 17 percent of American employers now offer sabbaticals (this includes both paid and unpaid). Studies have shown that sabbaticals not only improve employee morale and reduce stress, but they also benefit the company by improving organizational flexibility and allowing aspiring employees to grow and take on more responsibility.

If your employer isn’t on board with sabbaticals yet, those stats might help you make the business case for your extended leave. Career coach Tara Russell, founder of Three Month Visa Coaching and Consulting, says it’s important to think like your boss and “speak corporate” when negotiating your leave. “Your boss doesn’t care that you want to backpack around the world and find yourself – they care that you’ll be a far better and more productive employee when you come back.”

Point out that strategic rest and renewal is essential for personal creativity. And, says Russell, “be ready to emphasize the experiences you plan to pursue and skill sets you hope to establish and/or strengthen during your time off which would ultimately be useful to your employer when you come home.”

Once you’ve made your case and gotten your employer’s green light, start planning with World Nomad’s new Insider’s Guide to Your Ultimate Gap Year. Not just for college kids, this guide offers over 400 tips and guidelines from seasoned travelers on how to make the most of your big adventure.

I Resolve to Learn a New Skill

Maybe you’re determined to become a great cook, or speak fluent Spanish, or learn how to surf in 2018. By taking a course at a destination, you won’t just learn the skill, you’ll also be immersed in the surrounding culture – the colors and smells of the local market, the street signs in the local language, the conversations going on all around you. Studies have shown that people learn more effectively and retain information better when multiple senses are engaged.

As the Chinese proverb says, “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”

I Resolve to Give Back

From places devastated by hurricanes, to communities suffering poverty, to wilderness areas suffering the impacts of climate change, there are many places around the world – or even within your own country – that could use your help. One way to make a difference is to go and spend your tourism dollars to help places like the Caribbean recover.

You can also donate to worthy organizations. Through World Nomads’ Footprints program, customers can give micro-donations to projects in destinations they care about.

If you prefer a more hands-on approach, there are many voluntourism opportunities around the globe – but first, make sure the organization is reputable and shares your values, and that the project either matches your skillset or offers training. Check out World Nomads’ Insider’s Guide to Your Ultimate Gap Year for more tips.

I Resolve to Travel More

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Location/Closest City: Atlanta, Georgia
Airport Code: ATL

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest passenger airport in the world (Beijing comes in second), with more than 100 million passengers a year, according to a traffic report by Airports Council International. It services the bustling Southern city of Atlanta and is the primary airport for visitors to the Southeast U.S. Plus, it’s only a two-hour flight from 80 percent of the US population. More than Many southern regional airlines operate out of Hartsfield-Jackson and Delta Airlines has its hub here. ATL has 151 domestic and 28 international gates.

Guide to the Atlanta Airport

O’Hare International Airport

Location/Closest City: Chicago, Illinois
Airport Code: ORD

O’Hare was the busiest airport in the United States for years until Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson took that title away in the late 1990s. O’Hare is a major connecting airport for destinations in the Midwest and is a hub for United Airlines

Guide to O’Hare International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport

Location/Closest City: Los Angeles, California
Airport Code: LAX

Los Angeles International is undergoing renovations to help handle the influx of visitors from Asia and the Pacific. Visit their site to check out the latest updates, tips for navigating the airport, and more. Besides being the main airport for travelers to Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Southern California, LAX handles many connections to Hawaii and destinations on the West Coast. Check out this Guide to Los Angeles Airports, including LAX and nearby airports in Burbank, Long Beach, Santa Ana, and Ontario.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Location/Closest City: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
Airport Code: DFW

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the busiest airport in the state of Texas. Because of the airport’s size, the airport has its own postal code and post office. DFW has also been named one of the nation’s most tech-friendly airports. American Airlines has a hub at DFW.

Guide to Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport

Location/Closest City: New York City
Airport Code: JFK

The main international airport for New York City, JFK sees arrivals and departures from almost every international airline in the world. While a number of domestic flights are handled at JFK, the nearby LaGuardia Airport (near the end of this list) is NYC’s main domestic airport. American Airlines and Delta Airlines have a large number of connections through JFK, as does the popular, low-cost airline JetBlue Airways.

Guide to John F. Kennedy International Airport

Denver International Airport

Location/Closest City: Denver, Colorado
Airport Code: DEN

Denver International Airport is the largest airport by area in the United States (it’s twice the size of Manhattan!). Many regional carriers, particularly Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines.  Travelers visiting the western states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico will likely travel via Denver.

Guide to Denver International Airport

San Francisco International Airport

Location/Closest City: San Francisco, California
Airport Code: SFO

With three domestic terminals and one international terminal, San Francisco International Airport is the second largest airport in California and serves as a hub for West Coast travelers to and from Europe and Asia. The hip airline Virgin America has its base of operations at SFO and United has a large hub here. It’s won awards for its green design and efforts to reduce waste, water use, and greenhouse gases .

San Francisco Airport Alternatives, including San Jose and Oakland Airports.

McCarran International Airport

Location/Closest City: Las Vegas, Nevada
Airport Code: LAS

Although the glitz of Las Vegas is minutes away, travelers need not leave the McCarran International Airport to gamble, as there are more than 1,000 slot machines available to avid gamblers right inside the terminals. Airlines that serve LAS include low-cost carriers like Southwest and Spirit, as well as United, American, and Delta.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Location/Closest City: Phoenix, Arizona
Airport Code: PHX

Serving Phoenix and points in throughout the Southwest, Phoenix Sky Harbor has 120 gates in three terminals. It’s also dubbed “America’s Friendliest Airport” for its stellar customer service. The main airlines here are U.S. Airways and Southwest.​

Guide to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Location/Closest City: Houston, Texas
Airport Code: IAH

United Airlines’ largest hub is at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, but it is far from the only carrier that services this busy Texan airport. Alaskan, American and Delta airlines also service the airport. The busiest routes to and from IAH include points in Central and South America.

Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

“Villa bookings to the Turks and Caicos are growing rapidly, as guests are looking for islands with wonderful white sand beaches, staffed villas and award-winning restaurants, and the Turks and Caicos checks off all these boxes,” Lassman said. With growing air service from the U.S. and Canada, “it’s easier than ever to get there,” he said.

He said that a villa vacation in Jamaica, meanwhile, “continues to provide the best value of any Caribbean villa experience. Staff, including a chef, butler, housekeeper and laundress are included in the cost of most Jamaica villas, making each villa personalized vacation with a staff to cater to everyone’s need.”

Another big draw for Jamaica is the variety of activities available, from snorkeling and scuba to hiking, ziplining and viewing Jamaica’s 27 native species at the Rocklands Feeding Station wildlife attraction.

In its 2018 Luxe Report, Virtuoso advisers offered insights into 2018’s biggest destinations and what to expect in travel for the year ahead.

Virtuoso’s research showed that unspoiled natural beauty continues to motivate travelers, who also want to explore new destinations, push beyond their comfort zone and challenge themselves to try something unexpected, like swimming with mantas, shark dives, ziplining, ballooning or hiking.

All those activities can be found and experienced in the Caribbean, yet Cuba was the only Caribbean destination to appear on any of Virtuoso’s lists of top global, millennial, family, emerging, adventure and honeymoon destinations.

Cuba fell into one of Virtuoso’s top five emerging destinations, and the country’s visitor numbers this year are evidence of its growing global popularity, including U.S. travelers. The island was expected to top 4.7 million visitors by year’s end, up from four million last year.

I spoke with Ellen Carpenter, editor in chief of Ink Publishing, a travel media company producing numerous consumer travel publications, including several airline inflight magazines.

“Although some of the Caribbean islands experienced one of the worst hurricane seasons in recent years, many believe that the region will maintain its strong position in the vacation industry as islands recover and reopen, which several already have,” Carpenter said.

“There are plenty of islands that endured minimal damage and are expecting a big year ahead,” she added. “We are putting that message in many of our stories that appear in our publications.”

She cited Puerto Rico as an example of one of the hardest hit islands, “but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t go. Voluntourism is picking up steam as an important trend in travel, and we find that this type of travel experience is really appealing to millennials. There are many opportunities to help out and contribute on the islands still rebuilding and recovering.”

As far as trending destinations, the Bahamas, specifically Baha Mar in Nassau, has generated reader interest and comment in recent months, according to Carpenter. Also on her readers’ radars is St. Kitts and the Turks and Caicos.

Trending for Carpenter’s readers who are Caribbean travelers are cross-generational trips involving grandparents and grandkids, large family gatherings and travelers seeking wellness information.

“The issue of sleep is a big trend now: how to get enough sleep, what products assure a good night’s sleep, techniques to encourage sleep,” she said, citing the Six Senses Spa Punta Cana at Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic as an authority in the sleep movement, with treatments designed to encourage good sleep habits.

Carpenter credited social media as driving a lot of travel decisions, especially to the Caribbean. “Most of the region is easy to get to from many U.S. gateways,” she said. “People post their photos, others see them and it creates interest in the destination and the desire to visit. The region has a variety of accommodations at all price levels, and for the luxury travelers the choices are enormous.”

12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there.

Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs. Here are some ideas.

In a Posh Destination, Stay Outside the Tourist Center

OK, so you have your heart set on a Big Apple visit. Here, even a four-star hotel will cost several hundred dollars a night.

But in myriad vacation magnets like NYC, good hotels have proliferated outside the tourism hubs. If you’re willing to spend a few minutes on a subway or bus, you can save a bundle on your hotel bills.

You won’t be staying in a deluxe legend like The Pierre New York, but you might find a perfectly cute, cool design hotel. Some examples:
• In New York, Z NYC Hotel is located in Long Island City, a newly gentrified neighborhood that is one subway stop from midtown, and the hotel offers a free shuttle service. Rooms are slick Art Deco black-and-white, all with Manhattan skyline views.
• San Francisco: Oakland is attracting travelers who can’t deal with SFO hotel rates. Waterfront Hotel on Jack London Square delivers mesmerizing bay views, and there’s a shuttle to the BART station.
• Venice the wallet menace: Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) is the… MORE high-ticket tourism and hotel hub of Venice. If you stay a half-hour stroll away in the authentic and residential Santa Croce district, you’ll save around €200 per night at MGallery Hotel Papadopoli

As Sweet as a Suite Is, Go for a Hotel’s Basic Room

If you’re planning a luxury hotel stay mainly to lounge and laze in your cushy room, then it won’t really work for you to skimp on your room category.

But if you’re planning to spend most of your vacation time outside your room, you can save big with a “run-of-house” basic room. And you’ll still get the hotel’s five-star service and plush beds.
• Beware: make sure the room isn’t a lemon: overlooking an airshaft or the parking lot, beside the elevator, above a noisy lounge.
• And be on the lookout for sneaky ways that hotels cut corners.

Stay in a Four-Star Hotel, But Upgrade to the Club Floor

Choosing a hotel that is less than super-luxury is an obvious way to lower your hotel bill.

There’s a way to create a five-star experience in a four-star hotel. And that is by staying on the hotel’s more upscale club floor.

You may be eligible for a club-floor upgrade if you’re a points-accruing frequent guest of the hotel brand. But if you foot it yourself, a club-floor upgrade costs.

You will still be spending less than a luxury hotel room, but the club lounge and its privileges will furnish a five-star experience.
• See what you get with club-floor status, and whether a club-floor upgrade is worth it to you.

Travel Off-Season & Never on Holidays

Popular destinations tend to have high seasons with corresponding prices.

National holidays are always high season.
• You can celebrate holidays at non-holiday rates by leaving the country! I observe the Fourth of July by driving up to the Montreal Jazz Festival. Similarly, American Thanksgiving is just another Thursday in Canada

Family-friendly beach getaways are priciest when families can go: school holidays and breaks.
• You’re just not going to get a good deal then in South Florida, the Caribbean, and coastal Mexico

Flying at less popular times has its benefits, too.
• Fares are lower off-holiday and out of season
• If you’re using airline mileage, you will find far fewer blackout dates during off-season and non-holiday

Upshot: To save bucks, work around busy dates. Some times to avoid:
• The high-season slam in seasonal destinations: Long Island’s The Hamptons in summer, Vail in winter
• Famous events that create top-dollar rates: New Orleans during Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest in…

Go All-Inclusive

All-inclusive hotels and resorts have been gaining in popularity. In a nutshell, they’re easy.
• They include food, drinks, and tips, a significant savings if you tend to splurge on these
• See the pros and cons of all-inclusive plans

Today’s all-inclusives are upscale and elegant. May I present as evidence:
• In Cancun, Le Blanc Spa Resort, Live Aqua, and Secrets The Vine
• In Mexico’s Riviera Maya: Zoetry Paraiso Bonita
• On Mexico’s Pacific Coast: Secrets Vallarta Bay and Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
• On St. Maarten in the Caribbean: Sonesta Ocean Point and Sonesta Great Bay
• In the Adirondacks: The Point (possibly the world’s most deluxe all-inclusive)

All-inclusive trend: Because luxury travelers like all-inclusive pricing, more and more a la carte luxury hotels are now offering all-inclusive options as well.
• Mexico’s dazzling new design hotel offers an AI plan. Hola, NIZUC Resort on a semi-private island off Cancun.

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