How to Stay in an Italian Bed & Breakfast Without Spending a Penny http://ift.tt/2eynb0w

Do you have some extra wine and quality local produce? Can you build a website, give some pointers on vegan cooking, or even just help collect olives? Then you may be able to check in to an Italian bed and breakfast—without paying a cent!

November 14th through the 20th is La Settimana del Baratto a.k.a. Barter Week. The week encourages Italian innkeepers and travelers to exchange goods and services for free stays in thousands of participating bed and breakfasts. Travelers that are interested in participating can visit SettimanadelBarratto.it and list their offers or peruse the wishlists of participating bed and breakfasts.

For more on this story visit The Guardian.

Plan your trip with the Italy Travel Guide.

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2f8I323
via IFTTT

5 Luxurious Getaways in Southeast Asia http://ift.tt/2eymEvk

Southeast Asia has long been considered a backpacker’s dream, offering vast landscapes and affordable boutique accommodation in the perfect budget destination. However, the lesser-known, luxurious side of the region is rapidly earning a reputation, thanks to its sought-after retreats and luscious private getaways. We’ve explored some of the most luxurious holiday experiences on offer, from luxury cruises to award-winning wellness spas.

Vietnam

Although Vietnam has only recently seen its tourist industry blossom, it has rapidly become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Southeast Asia. For luxury travelers, the country’s relatively recent bloom means there aren’t quite as many high-end hotels here as elsewhere in this part of the world. However, the Six Senses Hideaway at Ninh Van Bay leaves little to be desired. Located in the coastal city of Nha Trang, this stunning hideaway boasts earth-toned rock pool villas set inside a serenely beautiful private cove. Possessing the same exclusive atmosphere as a private island, the resort is surrounded by white sands and striking mountains that create a feeling of being at one with nature.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Vietnam Guide

Thailand

Thailand is renowned for beautiful resorts and luxury spa holidays, but among the most impressive is the Layana Resort & Spa in Ko Lanta. Winner of the Best Luxury Destination Spa Thailand award in 2015, this pristine resort has been designed to cater to your every need. Particularly favored by honeymooners, the Layana Resort is an adults-only destination overlooking a stunning secluded beach. Inside, guests can explore the vast range of spa treatments on offer, from basic facials to the Layana Signature massage, which is a favorite among connoisseurs. Unlike many of Thailand’s more luxurious getaways, Ko Lanta remains relatively unknown, so you can bask in the peace and quiet.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Thailand Guide

Indonesia

It isn’t just hotels and resorts that provide a five-star service; some of the most luxurious holidays in the world take place at sea. There is a wide range of Southeast Asian cruises available, each following a different itinerary to deliver an original view of this incredibly beautiful region. Luxury cruise line Azamara Cruise Club offers an exciting 16-night cruise option that explores the culturally diverse stretch between Singapore and Bali. Beginning with the bright lights of the region’s richest country, the cruise stops for day trips at a range of beautiful destinations including Semarang, the home of the largest Buddha monument in the world. Finally, spend a few nights on shore in Bali, a vibrant country rich with temples, volcanic peaks, and stunning flora.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Indonesia Guide

Cambodia

If the term “eco-tourism” brings to mind cold tents with leaking roofs, you might be surprised by the indulgent approach taken at 4 River Floating Eco Lodge in Tatai, Cambodia. Floating on the surface of the picturesque Tatai River, the retreat boasts panoramic views of untouched forest that encourages guests to leave the stress and strain of modern life behind. The luxurious villas have been constructed from eco-friendly materials and were designed to remain in harmony with nature, while providing the decadence you would expect from a five-star hotel. Private balconies with picture-perfect views across to the Cambodian jungle are the icing on the cake at this oasis of peace and tranquility.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Cambodia Guide

Philippines

It’s impossible to explore Southeast Asia’s most luxurious destinations without featuring a luxury yoga retreat—and where better to do so than the Philippines’ top wellness hideaway? Located in the beautiful region of Batangas, The Farm is renowned for its natural approach to health and operates from a philosophy based on emotional healing and detoxifying. Within this intricately designed retreat, guests can enjoy indulgent spa treatments, yoga and meditation, aqua aerobics, and stress reduction guidance, all of which have been designed to help boost mental and physical wellbeing. During your stay, you’ll also have access to the retreat’s award-winning vegan restaurant, which sources much of its produce from The Farm’s own organic garden.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Philippines Guide

Paul Edge, director of Cruise Club UK, is a passionate travel enthusiast. When he isn’t busy heading up operations at Cruise Club, he often finds himself out at sea, exploring a new part of the world.  

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2eZGKPN
via IFTTT

11 Delicious Food Halls to Visit in New York City http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

For those fed up with restaurant decision making, your new dining era is here. Food halls have taken the variety of yesteryear’s shopping mall food courts and spun them into delectable culinary bazaars. They’re cropping up in cities from coast to coast, but in New York it seems like nouveau food halls are in (or coming to) practically every neighborhood—including a massive one proposed by Anthony Bourdain for Manhattan’s Pier 57, rumored to open in 2019. Here’s a look at a baker’s dozen of the best halls hungry to feed you right now.—Kelsy Chauvin

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2f8Apoa
via IFTTT

9 Reasons To Visit Nevis http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

St. Kitts’ little-known sister island, Nevis, has been attracting a lot more attention with the massive popularity of Hamilton the Musical, since it happens to be that founding father’s birthplace. But being off the radar for the masses has been a good thing for this lush little isle, as it has managed to remain unspoiled. —Susan Campbell

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2eZIsAT
via IFTTT

Rad Arachnids at the National History Museum's Spider Pavilion http://ift.tt/2fbRyd5

If you live in Los Angeles and somehow missed the bevy of haunted houses and scary attractions, you're in luck: the Spider Pavilion at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is open from October 30 to December 11. This isn't your normal spider exhibit, full of glass cases and barriers between you and the spiders; the exhibit is housed in an open-air pavilion where you can see non-venomous Golden Silk Spiders and Garden Spiders do what they do best, up-close and personal.

Museum guides tell visitors about the importance of spiders to our everyday lives, as well as their description of the arachnids' web-building prowess. Visitors are warned to watch where they step in order to avoid stray spider silk across the face, but luckily the spiders mostly keep to themselves and are shy around humans.

For the more squeamish guest, the entry area to the pavilion holds several spiders in closed habitats, where you can see spiders such as the Pinktoe Tarantula and the Mexican Fireleg Tarantula in glass cases while you learn about their habits and favorite foods (spoiler: it's not people.)

Plan your trip: Visit Fodor's Los Angeles Travel Guide

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2fbNr0n
via IFTTT

The Exhibit Where You Can Explore Cuba Without a Passport http://ift.tt/2fbQ16H

The American Museum of Natural History will be presenting ¡Cuba!, a new exhibit exploring the nature and culture of the island nation. Given the country’s incredible biodiversity and vibrant culture it’s clear that the exhibit, the largest of its kind in the United States, will serve as an exciting examination of everything Cuba has to offer.

Visitors to the museum will be able to get an immersive experience as they find themselves in the midst of the country’s sights (including a 3-D recreation of the Garden of the Queens coral reef) and even scents (sections will feature the transportive aromas of tobacco leaves and coffee).

¡Cuba! opens Nov. 21st and will run until Aug. 13th.

For more on this story visit The New York Times.

Plan your visit to the American Museum of Natural History with the New York City Travel Guide. Or plan your trip to the real deal with the Cuba Travel Guide.

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2ehi2fo
via IFTTT

5 Ways to Contribute to Wildlife Conservation with a Trip to Namibia http://ift.tt/2fbNXf0

While on vacation in Namibia, it’s easy to contribute to wildlife conservation while staying at comfortable lodges and going on guided safaris. Namibia is the first African country to incorporate protection of the environment and wildlife into its constitution. It has done this by creating conservancies and involving local communities, tourism businesses, safari operators, lodges, and farmers in working toward a shared goal of natural resource conservation. Currently 43.6% of Namibia’s 300,000 square miles is under conservation management.

With tourism being one of the major contributors to their economy, Namibians have found a way to support and aid their conservation efforts with sustainable tourism. If you’ve always dreamed of a guilt-free African safari, it’s time to head to Namibia.

Stay at a luxury lodge

Many of the lodges in Namibia have close ties the various communities and conservation areas around them. While you spend your hard-earned dollars lounging on the deck sipping on a sundowner, a portion of your fees are being invested directly into the wildlife conservation of the area. Luxury lodges often sponsor game guards to help control poaching in the region. In the beautiful and remote Northern Kunene region, half of the community conservation projects are linked to wonderful luxury lodges and tented camps. Places such as Desert Rhino Camp, Serre Cafema, Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge, or Grootberg Lodge are excellent choices.

Use a conservation-minded tour operator

When booking your holiday, choose a tour operator like Wilderness Safaris that can plan your itinerary and book all your accommodation. As one of the premier conservation-minded tour operators in Southern Africa, all of their establishments are deeply invested in the surrounding communities and wildlife management programs. Funds from their lodges are donated to area farms to repair damages from wildlife or to reimburse farmers for stock lost to predators like cheetahs. In addition, all their camps are built and managed in an eco-friendly way. While you’re still enjoying hot showers and five-star meals, they have taken care to minimally impact the surrounding ecosystem.

Go on a guided safari

If it’s your first time in Namibia, book a tour with your own guide and driver so you can spend all day admiring the landscape that Namibia is famous for. A planned itinerary will take you through the relevant nature conservancies, tribal villages that are actively involved in protecting the wildlife, and community camps and markets. Ultimate Safaris is Namibian owned and they specialize in tours and guided self-drive itineraries that are conservation focused.

Avoid wildlife sanctuaries

This may seem counterintuitive, because surely wildlife sanctuaries are there to preserve wildlife. Sadly, not all of these establishments have as honorable intentions as they should. Many are linked to illegal hunting operations or merely don’t actually rehabilitate the wildlife they have on display. Ideally, you are contributing far more in the long run to wildlife conservation by avoiding places that offer tours of animals in cages and small enclosures. Make sure to visit reputable places such as AfriCat at the Okonjima Reserve, where they are involved in cheetah rehabilitation. You won’t see animals in cages, but you will get to walk in the reserve and silently watch the rehabilitated cheetahs in their natural environment. With each visit, you’re directly contributing to rehabilitation of future cats as well as helping pay for education toward and management of the serious human–wildlife conflict with the farmers and cheetahs in the greater Namibia area.

Visit a national park

This one might seem a little more obvious than the others, but it’s not just about the entrance fee. Once you visit Africa, the continent stays with you forever. It happens with your first sighting of a leopard dozing in a tree above a river, or of elephants dipping their trunks into a pool of water and spraying it over their dusty backs. After you visit, your love for Namibia might inspire you to further contribute toward the conservation of wildlife. It could be something as simple as sharing the message, donating to a cause, or even just planning your next trip.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Namibia Guide

from Fodor's Travel Wire http://ift.tt/2ehjajb
via IFTTT