Its taboo to judge a book by its cover, but what about a beauty product? We all have our trusty stable of shampoos, body scrubs, and lip balms, but its nearly impossible to resist a sleek and simple travel-size face oil from Sweden or vintage-inspired mouthwash created for a French King. These eight European beauty products are so nice to look at that youll think twice before throwing the empties away. 

During a romantic interlude in Italy with his fiancée, travel journalist Darrell Hartman sipped espresso, cheered for jousters, and fell for the rustic elegance of an albergo diffuso, an innovative hospitality concept wherein buildings are revived with a sense of history.LE MARCHE, Italy – One of the great pleasures of visiting Europe, that old continent, is the parallel journey that you almost inevitably end up taking into t

We first met Annie Ojile in Rome where she brought Fathom founder Pavia Rosati on a whirlwind Vespa tour around the Eternal City. Shes since brought her effusive love for all things Italy and her fashion connections to Florence, where she now conducts customized shopping tours. She gives us a few of her favorite stops, and sneak peeks to ones she wont mention.FLORENCE – My love affair with Italy began nearly 20 years ago when I was a studen

New Yorks Hudson River Valley is all sleepy charms and mellow country living. Until, that is, you climb up a trapeze and learn to fly through the air at wellness center Omega Institute.RHINEBECK, New York – I love the Hudson Valley. In my dream life, I forego my New York City apartment in favor of a little farm in Tivoli. But despite my love for the area, a girl can only hike, eat, repeat (my usual M.O. up there) so many times before she ne

Fathoms film crew went to Barbados to capture an incredible surf scene thats been kept a secret for far too long.BARBADOS – For a few days at the end of spring, in whats considered the last days of tourist season, Fathoms video crew spent time with the most recognizable faces in Barbadian surfing. We chased the tides with Josh and Jacob Burke, teens with incredible natural talent; set up camp on Bathsheba to catch 19-year-old pro shredder C

Does anybody think about the Caribbean in the summer? Fathoms Becky Cheang did and discovered that theres plenty to do in the off-season — and no crowds to grapple with — on the West Indies island of St. Lucia.SAINT LUCIA – On a recent trip to St. Lucia, there were moments when I was transported back to my childhood home in Singapore. I loved the hot, muggy weather with the rare breeze, tropical fruit like soursop and rose apple

Videographer Marko Roth presents us with a beautiful video of his twelve-day trip to Oman. Experience the thrill, authenticity, and deliciousness of this Middle Eastern country in a four-minute, action-packed video.So, what brought you to Oman? My friends Lucas, Dominik, Vivi, and I were looking for cheap flights and found one to Muscat. A place we had never heard about meant something new to discover — we had to go.What was

You know that well-furnished estate you picture yourself in when you daydream? The Francis Ford Coppola family runs it in southern Italy. (Leave it to the movie masters to recreate such beautiful scenes.) Fathom contributing editor Kate Donnelly checked in for a few days of the sweet suite life.CHECKING INOverviewClose your eyes and consider a southern Italian hilltop town. The men sit outside and chat, the gelato store is always open, and

We first met Marianna Jamadi while she was documenting her around-the-world in 547 days trip on Nomadic Habit, one of Fathoms 24 Best Travel Blogs and Websites of 2014. Her new project, El Camino, curates unique trips for small groups around the world. Heres what happened on their inaugaral trip to Nicaragua.NICARAGUA – My co-founder, Katalina Mayorga, and I created El Camino to curate offbeat experiences for small groups to special lo

Photographer Luis Cárdenas, one of our 24 Best Travelers on Instagram, took us on a #FathomTakeover through the Sierra Gorda Mountains in Mexico. He shares his favorite photos from the hauntingly beautiful Surrealist garden.XILITLA, Mexico – I wanted to avoid the typical tourist spots in Mexico, so I headed inland to the Sierra Gorda Mountains, to Xilitla, a small town in San Luis Potosí near the Surrealist garden of Edward James.More commo

Alex Erdman of bespoke travel consultancy Local Foreigner checks into a dreamy, all-inclusive Montana ranch with luxury cabins, local and seasonal restaurants, wide-open ranges, and outdoor activities for the free spirit. Check out our slideshow and see for yourself.CHECKING INOverviewThe story of The Ranch at Rock Creek is romantically Western. In the 1960s, a little boy from New Jersey fell in love with Western movies and made his daddy a

How many weddings in a row can you take? A couple from London road-triped to the Cotswolds and West Sussex to attend two nuptials and learned that if the knots are tied in the English countryside, the number really doesnt matter. ENGLAND – The sun is shining. The bunting is blowing in the wind. And everyone is praying that the rain holds off. Welcome to wedding season in the fair isle of Great Britain, a season of marquees full of fascinato

Life isnt hard on holiday in Puglia. Private beach clubs pour local wine, organic farms host meals for over-night diners, and medieval stone villages (relatively untouched by tourists) dot the coastline. Victoria Lewis shows us around this often-overlooked but beautiful part of Italy.PUGLIA, Italy – When most travelers think Italian beach vacation, they think of places like Portofino and Capri. Puglia is pretty much the exact opposite of th

Long after the jet lag has faded, the memories remain. And so do the souvenirs. We respect the travelers who leave only footsteps and take only memories, but were more of the nice to see you sitting on my bookshelf, Lebanon types. We asked Fathom travelers about their best souvenirs and the stories behind them. After all, whats a good souvenir without an even better travelers tale?Jars of Rocks and SandName: Maggie Morris.What is your best

INSTAGRAM – If the thought of biting cold and dark, early evenings ahead doesnt float your boat, dont stick around when you dont have to. When most of us are stuck in the dead of winter, its still summer in the Caribbean. Check these visions of tropical paradise to inspire your winter break.

Easy-to-pitch inflatable tents for camping cub scouts. Attractive apparel for neat nature lovers. And high-tech buddy systems for off-the-grid warriors. Hit the trail with our favorite outdoor gear for every level of adventure traveler.

This week were celebrating small cities in the United States, making our way through charming college towns in the American South. Our first stop was Charlottesville, Virginia, for orchards, wineries, and a dose of Colonial history. Now were turning our sights to Oxford, Mississippi, where we found a sophisticated crowd that really loves its football.OXFORD, Mississippi – I landed in Memphis, my first foray into the Mid-South, an area that

Rob Corso hits hiking trails, scales high points, and witnesses a uniquely American pastime in South Dakotas Black Hills. Spoiler: Beautiful buffalo photos below.SOUTH DAKOTA – I want to live a good life. Im not exactly sure what that means, but Im learning. Ive stepped into good life territory while traveling, mostly in the great outdoors. I have a hunch that the good life exists just beyond whats comfortable; that it lies in experience, n

A down jacket that converts into a neck pillow. A portable spa experience via face mask pods. A handsome leather travel board for backgammon tournaments. Those are just a few of our favorite holiday finds for world travelers obsessed with plotting their next adventures.

Over on the other side of the globe, Aussie journalist Jenny Hewett has been hearing a lot about Bali wellness retreats where guests are asked to remain silent. When Hewett checked into Ubuds Kumara Sakti, she did so very quietly.BALI — Its 6 a.m. and my head is ringing. Its not the symptom of a late night nor the offensive drone of my iPhone alarm, but rather the soft gong of the brass bell outside my bungalow door. This is my daily