Mountain City's Travel Blog

It’s a US territory with sun-kissed Caribbean charms. Where lush jungles, land and marine parks and world-class beaches meet Old World cobblestone architecture, New World comforts, and signature Latin hospitality, culture and sultry vibe.  Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan is a major cruise port and destination in the eastern Caribbean. Thousands of cruise passengers embark and disembark every year. But...

Chile is easy to spot on a map of South America. It’s the very long, very narrow ribbon of country stretching over 4300 km (2700 miles) along from the middle to the very tip of the Pacific coast of South America. In spite of its length, it’s only 350 km (220 miles) wide at the widest point! With the storied Atacama desert in...

Maybe you’ve donated to wildlife rescue or the Red Cross funds to help. Maybe you’ve been one of the crafters who have knitted pouches and mittens for injured and orphaned koalas, kangaroos and other iconic Australian wild animals hurt in the fires.Welcome and much-needed rains have come that are helping to put out the fires. New green buds are even peeping...

Are you celebrating Valentines’ with your partner of 4 or 40 years? Are you celebrating with family or your BFF? Whether you’re enjoying coffee in bed, red cinnamon hearts, balloons or flowers we wish you a fun, celebratory and indulgent Valentine weekend.   And speaking of indulgences we wanted to share a few very sweet travel and travel-gift indulgences with you: A diamond-like travel...

If you’re a Jann Arden fan did you read Jann’s JANNuary 1st Facebook post? Arden welcomes 2020 in her say-it-like-it-is style, accompanied by gentle and insightful words. Much like her music.   Simple words that beautifully serve every human on planet earth, this was my personal favorite from her post: There is so much love in the world.There is so much good.Smile at...

A visit to the Juno Beach Centre is life-changing. Walking in the footsteps of young, Canadian soldiers who landed on this stretch of beach in Normandy, France on DDay is emotional, eye-opening, and never-to-be-forgotten. Some Canadians do more than visit. They work here. Permanent staff and young Canadians greet and guide visitors at the Centre, through the restored bunkers, and...

When you imagine an escape to the sunny, sensuous Mediterranean, what drink are you ordering at the bar?  Lynn Elmhirst, BestTrip.TV's producer/ host, shares her favorites. I once traveled with a cameraman who spent our entire 3-week, 10+ city film shoot in the Mediterranean trying to teach bartenders how to make a White Russian. The confusion – and often disdain - on...

Your next cruise vacation shouldn’t just start and stop at the ship’s gangway. Make the most of your holiday by extending your cruise before you board and even after you disembark.Here are some pre- and post-cruise extension moves for every smart cruise traveler.  1. Arrive at least one day earlyThat doesn’t even qualify as a pre-cruise extension. It’s just common sense.We recommend you...

Leave your evening gown at home and pack your hiking shoes instead. For more and more travelers, an expedition cruise is on the horizon.Expedition cruises speak to our inner adventurers. Smaller ships, more remote and tiny ports, untouched destinations, natural beauty, deep cultural interaction.They're perfect for travelers who want to explore the world's natural wonders and the most distant reaches...

Have you taken a river cruise in Europe yet? The 'Big Three' river cruises are the Rhine, the Danube and the Rhone/Saone. You may have heard about cruising on the Seine, even Main and Moselle cruises.But for a little 'off the beaten track' river cruising in Europe, Portugal's Douro river is enjoying its day in the sun. Warm-weather Portugal, in the heart of...

Move over, cuddly koalas and cute kangaroos. Meet the Tasmanian Devil. No, not the Looney Tunes cartoon character that travels like a spinning top, drooling, snarling and terrorizing Bugs Bunny's friends. The real animal, found in the wild only in one state Down Under.In Australia's collection of one-of-a-kind creatures, the Tasmanian Devil is a stand out member. So between photo ops with koalas,...

Cooler climes are some of today's hottest cruise destinations. Add the warmth of Seabourn's ultra-luxury service, boutique-hotel inspired ships, world-class dining and insightful, intriguing shore excursions like Ventures' active explorations, and you've got the perfect formula for discovering gateway northern destinations like Alaska, as well as the uniquely northern-most destinations in Europe.WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE FOR A SHIP TOUR AND HIGLIGHTS...

It's one of the world's top ten busiest airports, with a flight every 80 seconds. A hundred airlines transport over 60 million passengers yearly to and from Singapore's Changi airport. So millions of travelers are already familiar with the breathtaking Nature features in the airport that's the gateway to Asia's 'City in a Garden'. But 2019's new Jewel Changi Airport brings the natural...

Over the past few weeks, our office has had matrimonial excitement. 3 happy and joy-filled weddings. Jennifer witnessed her sister-in-law’s marriage on Holland America’s Volendam at Vancouver’s Waterfront. She and her husband were the official witness’ and honeymoon escorts. Following the sunny harbour-side wedding Jennifer, her husband and wedding goers soaked in warm days, glaciers and had loads of fun cruising...

Alaska had always been on my bucket list, but not of interest to my husband as he'd worked in the Arctic and prefers a warmer climate for vacationing. I felt my chances of experiencing and exploring such a beautiful corner of the world with him was slowly slipping out of reach..... until my sister-in-law chose Alaska as her wedding destination. Hurray!!!!...

This is a cruise line private island experience we haven't seen before.  Our Caribbean cruise on Regent Seven Seas Cruises included a day at Harvest Caye, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of our cruise. And when you watch the video you'll see why. Harvest Caye is an island a mile offshore mainland Belize.  Like...

For the past 10 years a Canadian company, ‘Just You’ has been completely dedicated to solo travellers.

by Belen

It puts new meaning into being immersed in the local natural beauty. The pristine waters of the Maldives are epic, surrounding one of the world's most romantic, remote and legendary tropical eco paradise destinations. Now you can sleep alongside your sweetheart or family as well as the rich marine life that animates the waters of these tiny islands in the Indian Ocean. Conrad...