World's Best Places to Visit

Where can a budget adventurer explore miles of secluded hiking trails, relax in the pools of world-famous hot springs, and then sleep under the canopy of an old-growth, temperate rainforest? Sol Duc Campground in Olympic National Park offers all this and more. It’s one of the most diverse and beautiful national parks in the United States. The name Sol Duc comes from a mispronunciation of the Quileute word for sparkling waters. Settles named the hot springs Sol Duc in the late 1800s, and built a hotel on the site in 1912. The original hotel burned to the ground in 1916 and was replaced in the 1920s.  An Overview of Sol Duc Campground In the Sol Duc Valley, you will find hidden waterfalls, sparkling lakes, quiet, backcountry trails, and a full-service resort within walking distance of the Sol Duc Campground, which is the perfect place to begin your Sol Duc experience. Sol Duc Campground is a full-service RV park in the summer months, with 17  full hook-up sites and...

By Marika McElroy Cain Senior Editor, Virtuoso Life Fall is a fabulous time for Hawaiian travel if you can swing it: Tourists have gone home and the rains haven’t set in yet. A few highlights from my recent stay on Maui: An afternoon in Makawao , the tiny upcountry paniolo (cowboy) town. My family and I had ahi sandwiches and refreshingly tart homemade lemonade at Market Fresh Bistro, visited an old friend who works at the tack shop, and browsed the galleries for local artwork. Sunset in Kaanapali , over dinner with Virtuoso Life photographer and part-time Maui resident Susan Seubert. The impeccable service, food, and views at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea . From the moment we pulled up to the hotel, the staff showered our son with enough attention – and presents – that we started calling him The Little Prince. We spent most of our time by the great kids pool, sipping something cold and stocking up on Vitamin D. Shopping for fresh fruit at local farmers markets . The ...

The Selaron Staircase is one of the hidden treasures in Rio de Janeiro, with more than 2,000 colorful tiles from over 60 countries Long after it hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics, the world travel spotlight will continue to shine on Rio de Janeiro as a result. Visitors to the “Marvelous City” wouldn’t dream of missing its best-known attractions, including the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. But those visitors might unknowingly pass up the chance to see some of the hidden treasures in Rio. Here are eight don’t-skip gems that locals prize (but many travelers miss):

From London to Beijing to Rio to French Polynesia, 11 properties are being celebrated as the Best of the Best hotels. Virtuoso travel advisors selected them as the network’s finest hotels of 2015 in a variety of categories. With almost 1,100 hotels, resorts, villas and private island retreats in more than 100 countries in Virtuoso’s program , it was a big task to settle on only 11 winners. These victorious properties were announced at the recent Virtuoso Travel Week conference in Las Vegas. They’re also featured in the September/October 2015 issue of Virtuoso Life. Announcing the 2015 Virtuoso Best of the Best Hotels:

New Zealand is one of the best-selling destinations as well as one of the fastest growing What do Singapore, Mexico and New Zealand have in common? They’re three of the leading luxury destinations so far in 2015, according to Virtuoso sales figures. Virtuoso has tapped into its data warehouse of more than $32 billion in transactions to determine where luxury travelers are venturing during the first three months of this year. Sales of everything from cruises to hotels to tours are trending up this year – 14% higher than 2014. Every quarter Virtuoso releases two lists that show the leading luxury destinations for upscale travelers. Here are the latest findings from the Top 10 List and the Hot List.

There are plenty of things to do in Panama City Beach from foodie feasts to island adventures and everything in between. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with spending your time at PCB just chilling on the beach and sipping on fruity cocktails. However, if you’re like me, then you’ll want to mix it up a bit and this list will help you get the most out of your trip. Fun Things to do in Panama City Beach 1 – THOMAS’ DONUTS! Mmmmmm donuts. Devour some donuts from Thomas’ Donut & Snack Shop. I highly recommend trying one of their cake donuts. It’s smaller, thicker and SUPER tasty. If you like a classic donut then you can choose from flavours such as peaches and cream filled, plain glazed and many more. Be prepared, the lines are often long but it’s definitely worth the wait. 2 – Jet Ski Jetskiing with dolphins! The warm waters of the Gulf Stream are the perfect place to try out jet skiing. You might be lu...

When I was invited to explore some of the best food experiences and restaurants in Lausanne, Switzerland I didn’t really know what I’d find. Usually, when I think of Lausanne I think of the Olympics and lake Geneva. I never really considered it as a foodie destination. But I put it to the test for a couple of nights to see what the city has to offer and whether or not it could cope with my vegetarianism. Here are some of my favourite foodie experiences in Lausanne. My Favourite Places to Eat & Restaurants in Lausanne Filling up the chocolates with some passion fruit caramel at Durig Chocolatier in Lausanne. Chocolate Moulding Workshop at Durig Chocolatier During my trip we were lucky enough to take a workshop at this wonderful chocolate shop. The workshop is about 60 minutes long. We got to choose a mould. They were in the shape of animals. I chose a squirrel, but others chose a bear and a crocodile. Then we learnt the magic process behind decorating a chocolate mo...

Cycling the ancient cobbled streets of Ferrara, Italy Italy | Europe Published: December 2018 Disclosure: My accommodation was provided by the Blogville project | This post contains affiliate links With Aperitivo hour rolling in, and one distracted-by-architecture crash under my belt already, it was time to park up our bicycles and settle in for a Spritz, and our now nightly pre-dinner snack fest. Janet and I had spent the day exploring Ferrara by bike, from it’s cobbled Roman streets to its renaissance palace. Ferrara might not be as famous with travellers like Bologna, Modena, or other cities in the Emilia Romagna region, but it makes for an ideal day-trip from Bologna, or an unexpected overnight stay, if you over-indulge in said Spritzs and miss the last train… my bad. Este Castle in Ferrara A relatively compact city, Ferrara’s architecture tells two sides of its history. With both renaissance and Roman art and architecture to celebrate it, Fer...