Horseback Riding in Iceland’s Westfjords: Is It Worth It?

Horseback Riding in Iceland’s Westfjords: Is It Worth It?

There are so many photogenic ways to experience Iceland — its thunderous waterfalls, its uneven and otherworldly lava fields, its windswept beaches, its glacial lagoons. But then there are the experiences that go beyond the ability to be photographed: experiences that you embody and bottle up, a memory to take home with you that can’t…

7 Marvelous Things to Do in Messina, Sicily

7 Marvelous Things to Do in Messina, Sicily

Messina sits almost at the northeastern tip of Sicily, just across the strait from Reggio Calabria, the southernmost city in mainland Italy. Despite its prime location, Messina is often overlooked by travelers compared to flight hub cities like Palermo and Catania, it is still a rather popular stop for cruise ships due to its port,…

Taichung Itinerary: How to Make the Most of 2 Days in Taiwan’s Second City

Taichung Itinerary: How to Make the Most of 2 Days in Taiwan’s Second City

I had first heard of Taichung from a girl I met while I was traveling in Greece, who had taught English there for two years. The way she described the city made me fall in love with it before I had even visited. Close to hikes and lakes, full of cafés and streets jammed with…

Annecy Itinerary: 2 Days to Discover the Venice of the Alps

Annecy Itinerary: 2 Days to Discover the Venice of the Alps

With its brightly-painted narrow streets set on a pristine crystalline lake with a backdrop of majestic mountains, Annecy is the ultimate scenic vacation destination, in the heart of the beautiful Haute-Savoie region of France. Annecy truly has it all: a picture-perfect old town with historic neighborhoods crisscrossed by charming canals, all set in a beautiful…

13 Magical Things to Do in Salzburg in Winter

13 Magical Things to Do in Salzburg in Winter

Salzburg is one of those places that captures your heart the moment you arrive, regardless of the season. However, anyone who knows a thing or two about this beautiful medieval city knows that winter in Salzburg is when it sparkles most beautifully. Once winter falls over the city, you can admire the (already dazzling) cobblestone…

15 Wonderful Things to Do in Bordeaux in Winter

15 Wonderful Things to Do in Bordeaux in Winter

Only a two-hour high-speed train ride from Paris and about the same to Toulouse, Bordeaux is the largest city in southwestern France. While the spotlight is definitely on the area’s wine production, Bordeaux is a proper all-seasons destination, perfect for wine lovers and culture fans alike. In fact, I’d argue that Bordeaux in winter has much…

5 Day Madeira Itinerary: Your Perfect Road Trip Route

5 Day Madeira Itinerary: Your Perfect Road Trip Route

Off the coast of Morocco, strewn in the Atlantic Ocean amidst its wild winds, you’ll find the Portuguese island of Madeira. Here, you’ll find a diverse landscape — laurel forests, sheer cliff faces, towering waterfalls, and stunning beaches — that makes the volcanic island of Madeira the perfect destination to visit any time of the…