Italy is, no doubt, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Whether you’re looking to explore beautiful architecture, discover stunning natural landscapes, swim at pristine beaches or feast on delicious food, this country has it all. But with so many things on offer, deciding what to do on your trip to Italy can be daunting. So, to help you with this, check out this list. From eating pizza in Napoli to chilling at the beach in Amalfi, this list can serve as your guide for pl

For animal lovers, traveling the world while spending some time among furry friends is like a piece of heaven. Thankfully, there are so many destinations that will allow you to interact with your favorite animals. Of course, as an animal lover, you don’t want to visit places that exploit animals or force them to work in stressful conditions. Therefore, you must choose those places that will only allow you to interact with animals in a natural environment and not subject them to any fo

Home to nearly 40 million people, California is a sprawling state that’s even bigger than England. And given its varied landscape, you definitely will not run out of things to do on your California trip. There are endless beaches, sprawling vineyards, lush farmlands, incredible deserts, charming villages and bustling metropolises. On any given day, there’s a wide variety of activities waiting for you to do, from surfing to hiking and even rollercoaster riding! Given the many opt

Home to hundreds of World Heritage Sites, Europe welcomes millions of tourists each year. Unsurprisingly, Europe has one of the most developed accommodation industries in the world. But there’s another sector in Europe’s hospitality industry that’s becoming very popular – alternative accommodations.  Alternative accommodations refer to a type of accommodations that are different from the standard hotels. From bed and breakfasts to cabin lodges and treehouses, these a

You’ve made it official, and now’s the moment to take a break and spend quality time together. Whether you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime destination or you just want to relax on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, the options are endless. Of course, you’ve seen the honeymoon brochures of couples holding hands at sunset in some of the most popular honeymoon locations around the world. But if you feel like something different is what you need, then l

  While every place on our beautiful planet is a sight to behold, some are simply magical, such as the city of Kyoto. Standing as the monument to the imperial age of Japan for over a millennium, Kyoto is the very lifeblood of traditional Japanese culture.  Naturally, the list of everything you can do and see in Kyoto is as long. Vermillion shrines and golden temples to graceful tea ceremonies, spiritual quests, swaying bamboo forests and taking mind-soothing strolls through Zen rock g

What are the best travel gifts in 2020 that can be enjoyed on trips half-way around the world, as well as on adventures closer to home? What about holiday presents for the traveler in your life who wants to travel more sustainably and reduce their environmental footprint? And finally, what about unique holiday gifts that support local communities, artisans and small businesses? These are not only beautiful, but they have a unique story to tell as well. This 2020 Ultimate Traveler Gift Guide has

A family ventures into the woods, and discovers more nature, vistas, and stunning gorges.TIOGA STATE PARK, Pennsylvania – I hate the word breathtaking. Maybe a punch to the gut or landing on the moon without your space suit is breathtaking. Places do not qualify.That said, I was in awe — and totally surprised — when I saw the Grand Canyon...in Pennsylvania. (Of all places.) Located roughly 225 miles northwest

MICHOÁCAN, Mexico — Americans love a good road trip, but something about Mexico makes us stall in our tracks. Ladies and gentlemen, there are safe parts of Mexico. I’ve completed four Mexican road trips on my own and was never once harassed by police, bribed by border patrol guards, or corpse-messaged by drug cartels.Mexican bicentennial independence from Spain and the centennial of the revolution coincided in 2010 to much touris

I grew up in Middle England. Wild, tropical adventure did not exactly sit on my doorstep. Still, the parks and playing fields of Birmingham played host to a child’s vivid imagination, and many an Indiana Jones enactment was carried out through slow-paced suburban backdrops. You see, I was an obsessive. An adventure obsessive, whose diet of Mr. Jones’ adventures, documentaries on extreme wildlife, and regularly devoured books about the jungl

A pair of puppeteers make their way to Antarctica to record, the sound of ice and nothingness for a stage play. Quite the research trip.ANTARCTICA – I have to tell you that you definitely do not go to Antarctica for the food or good shopping. In fact, you will find very bad food and no shopping. In the defense of the chefs in Antarctica, there isnt really access to fresh food, so we are dealing with a large array of edible objects in s

One day while cruising through Flickr, we came across a series of wild photographs chronicling various subjects (grandmothers, small boys, the Chinese army) in various settings around the world (pristine mountain tops, Indian railway stations, the Gobi Desert). They were at once intimate and expansive, giving a sense of inquisitiveness and omnipotence.We tracked down the gridskipping photographer, a French sales exec named Adrien Chabal, an

How do you show a visiting American who wants to travel to Australia everything your vast continent has to offer? Sydney native Jay Riedl devised a two-week tour.SYDNEY – How do I show you a good time down under? Its a valid question. Im Skyping with my friend Julie, whos arriving in two days. Im on my annual Christmas pilgrimage visiting family in Sydney, and Julie has decided she needs to get the hell out of dodge. Dodge is New York, and

Were getting to know the travelers behind Fathoms 24 Best Travel Blogs and Websites. Veronique Lievre, the hotelier/designer from Been Seen, gave us the lowdown on her trip to the High Sierra Mountains in California.Was it your first time? No, I go to the Sierras about five times a year. We own three small cabins in the area that we rent out, and I love the feeling of being in nature.How long were you ther

THE SCENEHigh style hits the Rockies in the super famous small town of Aspen (population: approximately 6,000). Peak ski season may conjure tabloid images of Mariah Carey in head-to-toe spandex, but in the summer months fur-trimmed ski bunnies are swapped for sizzling pool parties and an all-terrain playground for adrenaline junkies.Sure, few spectacles are as stunning as Aspen Mountain draped in snow, but the beauteous scenery of Aspen in

Alex Robertson Textor, one of our first 24 Favorite Travel Bloggers, recently took a trip to the Norwegian Artic. When its hot and summery everywhere else, its still frosty there.Hang on a second, where were you? I was in Longyearbyen, the capital and biggest town in the Norwegian Arctic territory of Svalbard. Svalbard is over 800 miles north of the Arctic Circle, between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole.So, what brought you

SOUTH GEORGIA, Antarctica – Is it any wonder that the rest of the world pales once you have seen South Georgia, the island in the south polar seas close to Antarctica? Coming ashore by Zodiac raft, you are welcomed on the beach at St. Andrews Bay by the first of a very large group of four-feet tall King penguins stretching out to the far horizon, outfitted in tuxes, proudly standing straight as an arrow.Showing no fear, it is they who

Theres nothing like a Frankenstorm to remind us of our powerlessness over the elements. Here are some of Fathoms best – and most frightening – stories about nature.HOI AN, Vietnam – As the eastern United States battens down the hatches for Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to hit landfall sometime on Monday, Im on a beach at The Nam Hai in Vietnam on a balmy day during typhoon season, reading the headlines from across the gl

Weve followed James Sturz to India, where he pondered Bengali tigers. This time, he takes us on safari to Kenya, where the menagerie he encountered inspired a series of koans, the paradoxes that Zen Buddhist monks ponder to achieve enlightenment. Heres one to start: Everyone says the animal that kills the most people in Africa each year is the hippo. Except that mosquitoes kill more. In honor of Earth Day, we ponder the wildlife in Kenya.

Brooklynite Joanna Prisco introduces her boyfriend to a childhood love in upstate New York. Mohonk Mountain House is a modern, old-fashioned resort for nature hikes, lunch by the lake, and lazy afternoons.NEW PALTZ, New York – I have to see a thing a thousand times before I see it once, wrote Thomas Wolfe in You Cant Go Home Again, and I wondered if the same held true for me. Could the modern-day Mohonk Mountain House resort possibly live u