Who said Southeast Asian spas have to be fancy and expensive to be good? Londoner Susie Walton found a low-frills Thai spa that was so good, she went twice. And shes planning to go back for more.KOH SAMUI, Thailand – I recently went back to The Spa Resorts in Samui, a no-frills but really effective spa on Koh Samui Island in Thailand for the cleanse program. I dont typically like to go back to the same place twice, but Spa Samui might be a

Logging miles on a transatlantic flight? Settling in next to a roaring fire? Its an excellent time to start chipping away at the books stacked on your night table or the movies filling up your Netflix queue. We selected some of our favorites from 2015 and are pleased to share the selection. These books, TV shows, podcasts, and movies will transport you to another time and place.

Katie McKnoulty of The Travelling Light, one of our 24 Best Travel Blogs and Websites, took over our Ingstagram account while in the Italian countryside. Were still thinking of her dreamy photographs.LE MARCHE, Italy – I spend about a month every year in a rural medieval town in Le Marche, living the quiet life among the locals: visiting markets in the square every Saturday morning for my weekly shopping, taking aperitivos in the late after

For the intrepid traveler, there is no greater thrill than having the chance to explore a destination seemingly untouched by tourism. Or at least people in your social circle.Make 2016 your year of magical thinking about travel. Explore a few of our favorite, remote, path-less-chosen destinations. 

Yay! Youre going to Lake Tahoe! Boo! You dont ski. No need to sit and sulk indoors. Theres plenty to do on and off the slopes.LAKE TAHOE – Carving down a clear mountain trail in Lake Tahoe is bliss — cool wind in your face, sparkling snow in every direction — a true moment of peace. But those who dont ski or snowboard are often relegated to the less-than-singular experience of sipping cocoa in a lodge. It doesnt have to be that

When UK-based writer Averill Brewer first visited the tiny seaside French resort town of Le Touquet Paris Plage, she fell for the great outdoors, the terrific frites, and her (now) fiancé. Every season has its own magic in Le Touquet, but winter provides the quiet and coziness we dream about on bleak days.LE TOUQUET, France – For many years, my main associations with wind were of the warm, calamitous hurricane variety that dance over Louisi

Planning a romantic getaway? Youll want a setting that looks the part. We partnered with popular Instagrammers at Beautiful Destinations to compile the top spots for romance around the world.A honeymoon isnt the only time a relationship calls for a romantic getaway. Anniversaries and engagements. Impending babies and empty nests. Honey-Im-sorry and just-because. All excellent reasons to hit the road with your beloved.We asked the Instagram

The podcast scene is heating up but the travel genre is young, with only a few players and plenty of room for innovation. Were still searching for a favorite, but in the meantime — here are five travel podcasts catching our attention.

Laird Hamilton, the legendary big wave surfer and fitness professional, launched Laird Apparel, a collection of functional, performance-based clothing for men. Curious where he would go to use his new gear, we asked him for his favorite surf spots along the Pacific. THE PACIFIC OCEAN – I grew up in Hawaii — first Oahu, then Kauai, then Maui, and now back on Kauai — and have punctuated my time with stints

New York-based fashion and style writer Nandita Khanna has been skiing since she was three years old. After several years of searching for a comprehensive guide to Sun Valley, her favorite ski town, she decided to write one herself. Then she gave it to us to publish on Fathom. Swish!SUN VALLEY, Idaho — The best word to describe Sun Valley? Magical. Sounds effusive, but its true. Sun Valley is one of those places where the more you lea

HUNGOVER SOMEWHERE – We’ve lived through teenage antics in Cancun and have seen girls go wild in Daytona Beach. Along the way, we have paid for our mistakes (mixing liquors, sorority tattoos) and learned many valuable lessons. Mainly: How to plan for a spring break without regrets. Here are a few smart group vacay ideas.British Virgin IslandsThe Scene: The Yacht Week, unique, week-long partying on staffed yachts that sleep up to a dozen peo

A family packs into a sedan and drives from Mexicos San Miguel Allende to Patzcuaro to Zihuatanejo to Morelia, stopping along the way for rustic meals, fun beaches, and rests under the mangrove trees. You can do it too.SAN MIGUEL, Mexico – Another brutal winter in New England. While I fantasized about being just about anywhere warm, I didnt just want to veg out at an all-inclusive resort. I wanted to get out, have an adventure, and discover

Feeling a little rusty on the slopes? Get back on the trail in the best possible surroundings.JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming – I was prepared for frozen tundra. And shortly after me, my husband, and our 4-month-old baby arrived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from New York, it started to snow. “Well, this it,” I thought, wondering, not for the first time, why we had decided to come here rather than some place like southern California or Aruba. I checked a

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?1) Dashing through the airport, looking for breakfast but ending up with airplane pretzels.2) Driving on an unfamiliar highway debating the merits of lunch at Cinnabon or Roy Rogers.3) Eating a somewhat unidentifiable meal in a foreign country and going to bed hungry. Weve been there! Out of our element and in need of a healthy, wholesome snack to power us through the day. Which is why were cons

As you gaze into your phone, tap, tap, tapping out five emails and three texts in the space between of four subway stops, you find yourself longing for simpler, less deliriously-paced times.When an afternoon could be spent composing the perfect come-for-tea invitation and an innuendo-laced oh-how-delightful riposte. A time when your chateau was your castle and there was nothing that your palazzos majordomo couldnt fix with brisk and in

With the Sonoran Desert in their backyard, locals in Scottsdale, Arizona, dont have to go very far to get away from it all.SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Reasons to visit the well-manicured city of Scottsdale include gold-standard golf courses, the legacy of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and spring training, which attracts the highest density of Major League Baseball teams and fans in the United States.Not me. I spent five days in Scottsdale because

Fathoms Daniel Schwartz went to Arizona expecting a sleepy vacation. He got an adrenaline-filled jolt instead.SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Expert traveler that I am, I assume Ill know what a place is like without ever having visited. Its my job to know, right? But sometimes, Im surprised by my actual experiences. I just got back from a five-day adventure in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the surrounding Sonoran Desert. In this part of the world, its all

New York-based entrepreneur and the designer behind denim line Industry Standard, Nicole Najafi, just returned from a dreamy Mexican escape.SAYULITA, Mexico – When you imagine paradise in Mexico, its Punta Mita — a village nestled in the bay of Nayarit, about 45-minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. If youre fortunate enough to have a big sister who was gifted a week at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico from a client for a job well d

The final trip in our Free Trip Bonanza may be the ultimate one: a perfect week in Italy.To celebrate the launch of our Fathom Honeymoon Guides (coming in June!), were sending one lucky winner on a trip to Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast — the destinations featured in our new guides.You dont need to be planning a honeymoon to enter, of course. The destinations, hotels, and guides are amazing no matter what the occasi

For more than two decades, Denielle Wolfe has been at the forefront of design and product development for brands like Kate Spade, Coach, and most recently Tumi, where she led the design department. Last month, along with her co-founders, Wolfe launched Arlo Skye, a travel company for the design obsessed. Her first product, a lightweight carry-on that we cant wait to get our hands on, is currently available for pre-order. She shares her top