Destinations

Your heart pounds overtime with excitement as you finally descend to the bottom of a dive site. A whole new world unfolds before your eyes. From walls to reefs, wrecks to piers, scuba diving allows you to tap into your inner adventurous self and see an unlimited amount of fascinating marine life in its natural

Want to tack on a second city stop to your next trip to Tokyo? Kyoto and Osaka never disappoint, it’s true – yet let us humbly recommend Kanazawa, a comparatively under-the-radar yet big-time Japanese city that you can zip to via bullet train from the capital in 2.5 hours. On the Sea of Japan on

Thanksgiving, an American holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, features people lining the streets of major cities to watch marching bands, grinning clowns and enormous floats inaugurate the festive holiday season leading up to Christmas. The walking parties burst with hometown pride – you might spot the city’s beauty pageant queen, a local sports

With elegant architecture, impressive eco-credentials and bohemian beaches, it’s easy to fall in love with Valencia. It would be tempting to spend every day in Spain‘s third-largest city, but do make time for day trips – there are some incredible experiences nearby. To the west, Requena has charming wineries with hotel rooms between the vines, to

Sampling oysters on the northern coast of Normandy, sipping stellar vintages in Bordeaux and wandering the soul-stirring streets of Paris: the French holiday of your dreams awaits. Whether you want to tick off the greatest hits or seek out more under-the-radar spots, these itineraries will take you all over the country.  Ranging from a 3-day north-south journey

Few places conjure up images in the mind’s eye quite like the Bahamas. Imagine impossibly blue waters, swaying palm trees and sugar-sand beaches that spill across a horizon painted in watercolor hues, all set to the Junkanoo rhythms of a Goombay drum. The good news? It’s possible to find all of this in one weekend;

Some people ski for the fresh air, the mountain views or the sheer physical challenge. But, as I’ll freely admit to anyone who asks, I ski so that I can après-ski.  This time-honored tradition is truly one of the best parts of schussing down the slopes. “Après” is the French word for “after,” so translated literally,

Loreto is a charming, under-the-radar seaside town in Baja California Sur boasting beautifully clear waters,  dolphin sightings and clambakes on the beach. Only a 90-minute flight from Los Angeles, Loreto has become a haven for retired snowbirds and visitors from around the world, as well as a major stop for backpackers and the occasional cruise

One of North America’s most dynamic cities, Montréal has treasure-filled museums, a vibrant music scene and grand churches full of little-known history. The city’s famous restaurants, luxury hotels and smart boutiques here make it easy to live it up – and spend a fortune. Yet some of the Montréal’s finest attractions won’t cost you a

Sprawling across along an island in the St Lawrence River, Montréal is a city of vibrant neighborhoods. In these diverse districts, visitors can get a strong sense of the city’s blend of French and English heritage – indeed, its very soul. Historic, cobbled streets and centuries-old architecture make Old Montréal a focal point for most visitors,

You can create all the spreadsheets you want filled with restaurants and must-do experiences, but if you truly want to get to know a place, track down a local grocery store or market – really!  In the US, your options are seemingly endless and wonderfully varied, which is why our staff have nominated their very favorites

Barcelona is an incredibly popular destination with visitors from all over the globe and with good reason – its wealth of stunning architecture, incredible food scene, charming neighborhoods and a thriving nightlife is enough to rival any major city. But that popularity can also bring complications and confusion – especially if you fail to escape

I’m an Adelaide-based travel writer and photographer, capturing adventures across Australia – although, shamefully, I hadn’t visited Sydney since the pandemic lockdowns. So when an invitation arrived to go to the harbor city to launch the latest Lonely Planet Australia guidebook series (for which I’d helped pen the South Australia chapter), I took it as

Ever dreamed of finding yourself a new beach for every day of the year? Well that’s exactly what’s on offer in the beautiful twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which famously boasts 365 separate strands. They’re the perfect setting for sipping Antiguan rum punch under thatch umbrellas, or feasting on some of the freshest seafood

Long a center for design, art and architecture, industry and music, Detroit is one of America’s most intriguing cities. I fell in love with its soaring art deco skyscrapers, fascinating history and fierce spirit on my first visit in 2013, and every trip since has shown me something new. Start your own Detroit journey with

Picture rows of oil lamps twinkling in the night and pathways adorned with rangoli – intricate patterns made from flowers and colored sand. All around you, firecrackers burst, painting patterns in the darkness. Persistent drumming melds with Indian melodies and special festive foods invite you to enjoy the festival mood. This is Diwali (or Deepavali)

Lonely Planet Destination Editor for Central & Eastern Europe Sandie Kestell recently traveled to Moldova and Transnistria. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip. When I told people I was planning a trip to Moldova, responses were mixed, ranging from “Amazing!” to “Why?”, right through to “Where is that?”.

Bold, big and beautiful, Arizona has a lot to brag about. Framed by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California, and with Mexico at its southern reaches, the state gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has four distinct seasons. Arizona’s sprawling deserts and massive mountains provide a range of weather conditions year-round,

Our slow travel series explores how you can take more mindful journeys by train, boat, bus or bike – with tips on how to reach your no-fly destination, and what to see and do along the way. Here, Austin Bush explains how he traveled from Seville, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal, via land.  I had just

Having lived in and out of Ho Chi Minh City for the last 10 years, I’ve had a chance to look at this city through the eyes of a local and sometimes a visitor. In Vietnamese, we refer to this city as Sai Gon hoa le, literally translated into “Saigon flowers and tears”. While the