Travel

I spent three days trapped in my $180-per-night Cancún resort, fighting for beach chairs at 6am and dodging spring breakers in crowded pools. At 52, I’d imagined something different from Mexican paradise. Then my taxi driver mentioned a place called Cenote Ik Kil—a sacred Maya water temple 90 minutes inland. I ditched my prepaid resort … Lire plus

I spent $320 on a Woodstock hotel room last October, then waited 40 minutes for parking near a covered bridge already crowded with selfie-stick tours. The next morning, I took a wrong turn off Route 12A in New Hampshire and discovered something that made me cancel my remaining Woodstock reservations: a village of 1,616 people … Lire plus

At 54, sitting in Teterboro Airport’s private terminal during a delayed connection, I watched a charter broker tap his phone and casually mention something that would save me $28,805 annually: “Ever heard of empty-leg flights?” I’d spent 25 years photographing remote destinations, accepting $8,000 business class tickets as the ceiling for comfortable long-haul travel. That … Lire plus

I discovered empty-leg private jets at 54, and it transformed how I fly. After 25 years photographing remote destinations, I’d accepted that business class was my ceiling—$8,000 roundtrips felt justified for my work. Then a delayed connection in Teterboro changed everything. A charter broker mentioned empty-leg flights—private jets repositioning between client bookings at 75% discounts. … Lire plus

I spent $5,200 on my first Business Class ticket to Dubai at 52, expecting marginal improvements over Economy. What I discovered changed how I view luxury travel forever. Flight attendants revealed that Business Class delivers 90% of First Class comfort at half the price—but only if you know the insider secrets that transform a premium … Lire plus

After comparing 50+ business class products across two decades of aviation reporting, I’ve watched Qatar Airways’ Qsuite redefine what $5,200 can deliver at 35,000 feet. While Emirates charges $8,000+ for Dubai-routed flights with similar privacy features, Qatar’s revolutionary double-suite system costs 35% less on New York-Bangkok routes through Doha. The 2025 Skytrax awards just confirmed … Lire plus

I spent twenty years chasing sunsets across six continents before discovering the truth that embarrassed me: Santa Monica State Beach delivers more cotton candy skies than Santorini—without the €40 cruise ticket, 11-hour flight, or summer crowds crushing Oia’s marble steps. Last October, I watched pastel hues explode across the Pacific while families spread picnic blankets … Lire plus

Dawn breaks over Marrakech’s medina, and before you see Rahba Kedima, your senses announce its arrival. The fragrance of cumin, cinnamon, and ras el hanout stops you mid-breath three alleys away. This compact square measures barely 2,700 square feet, yet it holds what vendors call “the nose of Morocco”—a concentration of spice knowledge so potent … Lire plus

My GPS died at 6:47am on a dirt road 26 miles into Utah’s backcountry, October light just cracking the horizon. I’d aimed for Antelope Canyon’s famous beams—$120 Navajo tour booked, permit secured after three lottery attempts—but a wrong turn down Hole-in-the-Rock Road changed everything. Two hours later, I stood inside Peek-a-Boo Gulch’s 12-inch-wide passages, sandstone … Lire plus

I watched dawn break over Siem Reap’s temple crowds—3.5 million tourists annually jostling for Angkor Wat selfies—and felt exhausted before breakfast. Then my tuk-tuk driver mentioned a place 20 minutes away where entire neighborhoods rise and fall 33 feet with the seasons. “Most visitors never go,” he said quietly. “The families there, they prefer it … Lire plus