Mountain City's Travel Blog

It's the kind of voyage books and films and history are made of - and that travel dream will be a reality for 450 curious travelers in 2024. For the first time ever, an ultra-luxury cruise line will sail around the entire continent of Africa.  It's a 90-day, 17,000-mile exotic adventure visiting 44 marquee and off-the-beaten path ports and cities throughout...

It ranks right up there with the Statue of Liberty and the Washington monument. Not only is it a world-wide symbol of the United States. It’s also the country’s most famous sign – and visual shorthand for one of America’s most universally-consumed exports: movies, as well as the West Coast city where movie-making dreams come true.  In 2023, the Hollywood sign celebrates...

Oceania Cruises has officially welcomed the 1200-guest Oceania Vista in a glittering event in Malta. She’s the cruise line’s first new ship in more than ten years, and the first of its new, Allura-class of ships.  In a ceremony that included centuries-old blessings on the ship and the souls who will sail upon her, Italian-American chef, author, restaurateur and Emmy award-winning...

It begins as a dream, swimming around in your head.It can apply to a weekend, several weeks of your life, even months. The vision takes place in an unknown land.Then it becomes official. You commit yourself; you are booked. The dream shifts into high-definition technicolor.  You’re enjoying the first third of “A Third. A Third. A Third.” It’s the bits and...

Airlines are making it harder and harder to deny yourself the pleasure of first-class travel, especially on long-distance, overnight flights to Europe where you want to arrive feeling well-rested and refreshed. No longer is the first-class cabin just about seats that are bigger, farther apart and lying flatter with food service on china rather than plastic - incrementally better than...

An overnight rail journey through the landscapes of the legendary Scottish Highlands on the Royal Scotsman, A Belmond Train, is getting even more baronial. Two new Grand Suites will debut on the train in 2024 that mirror the atmosphere of a luxury Scottish country house and capture the magic of Highland culture and lifestyle. When you’re not with fellow guests dining in...

A new, ultra-luxury resort brings St. Regis glamor and hospitality to a new, exclusive development at a 600+acre nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site on one of Mexico's most popular beach destinations. The St. Regis Kanai Resort was inspired by the Sian Ka'an Reserve, from its avant-garde architecture to its upscale interiors. If you hadn't heard of Kanai yet, you're...

While travel was paused during the pandemic, Hong Kong kept evolving. Three attractions give new and returning visitors fascinating insights into the city’s British era. Two reinvent an iconic Hong Kong experience, and the other provides visitors access to a part of Hong Kong that’s been closed to tourists – until now.The Renewed Peak TramHong Kong’s Peak Tram has been...

Spring is in the air, and around the planet there are patient tourism rebuilds, newly proposed regulations, schedule revisions, and respect for planet earth.Let’s visit a few of these “R’s”   REBUILDFrance has a massive rebuild underway.  After more than two years of work on the masterpiece of Gothic architecture, Notre Dame, is stable and secured enough for artisans to start...

What’s the real difference between a luxury, small ship cruise and a luxury expedition cruise? Many cruise travelers don't know what they’re missing. So cruise travel journalist Lynn Elmhirst sat down with Seabourn’s Jen Martin to discuss why – even if you’ve already sailed to Antarctic with Seabourn, for example, you might want to go again with one of their new...

This ancient wonder of the world just keeps getting better – and more mysterious. Researchers have recently discovered 168 more geoglyphs carved into the ground in the Nazca region of Peru, three hours south of Lima. Like the 358 other Nazca lines already recorded to date, the new ones are believed to date back 2000 years. Most of the designs etched into...

King Louis XIV of France called it the ‘wine of kings, the king of wines,’ but remarkably, this Hungarian wine remains under the radar for many wine lovers today. For over a thousand years, Tokaj wines were served to royalty, and now, they are a treasure for modern travelers to Hungary to discover. A perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in...

Early spring in Japan spells ‘sakura,’ or cherry blossom season, when the entire country is awash in the lacy, pale pink blooms on millions of cherry trees lining rivers, avenues, mountainsides and park walks. A culture obsessed with seasonality values perhaps cherry blossom season the most, and this may be the best time to immerse yourself in Japanese traditions. Sakura season...

2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings of Allied troops in France to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. For travelers with family members who served in Normandy, as well as those keen to immerse themselves in history, one river cruise line has created an itinerary to commemorate the milestone with perspectives from both sides of the Channel. I've...

A cruise to Alaska is all about Nature. ‘Ventures by Seabourn’ let you cruise in the lap of luxury – and also get up close and personal with the dramatic scenery and spectacular wildlife of the waters of America’s Last Frontier. Cruising may be the best way to experience Alaska. Seabourn’s ultra-luxury small ships take you closer and into more...

Hong Kong’s doors are open to visitors again, and to celebrate, it’s offering travelers who come to the city in 2023 some ‘welcome back’ perks – plus, it’s unveiling a host of new and resuming cultural events and attractions. “Hello Hong Kong” is inviting new and returning friends of one of the most vibrant, eclectic, and unforgettable cities in Asia...

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the most popular travel destination in the country, home to the legendary Riviera Maya and hot spots like Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, plus the island of Cozumel, a popular Western Caribbean cruise port of call. Whether you're looking for all inclusives and high energy, or laid back, off-the-beaten track exploration, the cultural and...

If you’re like most people, dining and drinks are top factors when choosing a cruise. Cuisine is one of the cruise lines most important and expensive offerings, with the six leading cruise lines spending $2 billion on food and beverage supplies – every year! No wonder, when cruise lines serve up ever-more imaginative culinary programs every year to keep up...

There are over 100 Ritz-Carlton ultra-luxury hotels in 35 countries - but amazingly, none in Italy, one of luxury travel's top destinations. That's about to change. This elegant hotel brand is set to debut in one of Italy's most elegant locations. Ritz-Carlton is re-imagining and restoration of one of Italy's most acclaimed destinations for luxury travelers: the former Hotel Grande...

Spring Break is high season for family travel, and with every member of the family more digitally connected than ever at home and away, that means posting about good times on vacation. Not so fast, warns one insurance company, which is advising travelers of the risks of ‘over-sharing.’ A new survey commissioned by the Allstate insurance company revealed that almost...