Discover Amsterdam's Local Food Scene on this Avalon Waterways Shore Excursion
Everyone wants to try 'real' local food when they travel. But we don't always have a real local to point us in the right direction. That's why we loved our Avalon Waterways' culinary tour of the Jordaan, a walking-sipping-snacking tour of the revitalized neighborhood in Amsterdam. It gets you out of the tourist core and into the heart of the Dutch lifestyle the way the locals in the Netherlands really live. Want to taste the local beer? And the snack the locals order...
Top 10 Souvenirs from a Trip to Hawaii
You'll come home with a million sun-drenched memories of a holiday in Hawaii. Here are 10 mementos you can take with you. ANYTHING PINEAPPLEThey may be the most common symbol of Hawaii, and you'll find pineapples, pineapple products, and pineapple motifs everywhere. Pineapples are actually native to South America, and their Hawaiian name 'halakahiki' means 'foreign fruit'. They arrived in Hawaii in the 1500's, but it wasn't until James Dole, the 'Pineapple King' came to the islands in 1899, that Hawaii became synonymous the...
Where's the Best Place to be on National Cake Day?
If it isn't on your calendar already, get out a red pen and mark November 26. That's National Cake Day, and although we don't need any excuses to enjoy the star of any birthday, wedding, or Tuesday afternoon, it got us thinking: where is the best travel destination for a day dedicated to celebrating cake?Our conclusion: Austria, with not one, but two flagship cakes.Linzer TorteLinz is the home of Linzer Torte. Since it's said to be the world's oldest cake recipe,...
4 Local Markets You Can Go Shopping with the Chef on a Seabourn Cruise
It's a long-standing tradition and one of guests' favorite experiences of a Seabourn cruise. And it doesn't even take place on board the ship.Seabourn's Shopping with the Chef complimentary shore excursions to landmark local markets in ports of call are legendary, and a signature of the luxury cruise line.It's no surprise to find Seabourn chefs shopping in local markets. Take a Seabourn cruise. Then take another. No two Seabourn cruises are quite the same. You'll realize how much effort Seabourn chefs (and all the...
Champagne Vending Machine at this NOLA Hotel Makes Every Day New Year's Eve
The motto of New Orleans is 'Let the Good Times Roll'. Nowhere is that more true than at the local Ritz-Carlton, which now boasts the area's first permanent champagne vending machine.This classy, tongue-in-cheek interpretation of lobby fixtures in sadder hotels holds 320 'piccolo' (mini) bottles of liquid celebration, and blends right into the hotel's festive seasonal décor and events.A nearly life-sized gingerbread NOLA streetcar dominates the lobby, with festive gingerbread making and decorating events throughout advent for the young and their...
Video: Seabourn Chef Celebrates Quebec's Harvest: Cooking with the Chef
Seabourn specializes in culinary memories. This luxury cruise line has long been famous for its tradition of 'Shopping with the Chef'. In Quebec City on a Seabourn fall colors cruise from Montreal through Canada and New England, we took Shopping with the Chef one step further – to its natural conclusion, in a delectable Seabourn dish.Shopping with the Seabourn Quest's Executive Chef Jes Paskins at the Old Port Market just steps away from the ship, we returned laden with the bounty...
5 Fun Facts Plus 1 Travel-Inspired Tequila Recipe
Tequila has grown up. No longer a frat house or a blurry vacation cliché, Mexico's national spirit has returned in recent years to its roots, with new premium brands sprouting up that are perfect for sipping and stylish cocktails at home or on holiday. Here are 5 things you might not have known about Tequila – and a great recipe from our friends at Altos Tequila to get you in the 'spirit' for your next trip to Mexico.Mezcal or Tequila?It all starts...
5 Stars and Social Consciousness; A Paris Hotel Creates the Future of Luxury Cuisine
The first luxury hotel to win 5 Michelin stars is putting its money where its guests' mouths are. And committing to the cause of tomorrow's food and cuisine.The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris has three restaurants. Between them, they've earned record recognition by Michelin. 3 stars for Le Cinq, 1 star for Le George (pictured, top) and 1 star for L'Orangerie. It's put this historic landmark Parisian hotel on the top of many foodie travel lists.Now an historic garden is where...
6 Reasons to See Sicily
It's the largest island in the Mediterranean, with 14,000 years of history.Sicily is in the center of the Mediterranean Sea and has been central to several world-changing civilizations including the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans. It is rich in artistic, musical, literary, culinary, and architectural heritage, and has some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the Med. Yet many travelers never go beyond mainland Italy. Don't let this be you! Even if you've already done the 'big three' Italian destinations of...
Top 10 Reasons to Travel to Croatia
From an isolated backwater behind the Iron Curtain, Croatia has transformed itself into Eastern Europe's 'Riviera'. Sun worshippers discovered the miles of sunny, pristine beaches and dramatic cliffs of the Dalmatian coast.Other tourism followed for ancient and historic monuments, including UNESCO world heritage sites and even some communist concrete architecture, spellbinding natural beauty featuring islands, waterfalls, and mountains, and the good life of good wine, good food, and a more relaxed atmosphere than other busier – and more expensive – European...