Famous Thai Beach to Remain Closed Two More Years—at Least
Posted on 05/13/2019, 12:00 PM
Thailand's Maya Bay, which played the titular locale in the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach, is currently closed to tourists and will remain that way until at least 2021. Officials first banned visitors from the scenic scoop of sand on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh during the summer of 2018. The idea was to give the natural environment, particularly fragile underwater corals, a chance to rec...
Learn About NYC's LGBTQ History—and Drink Beer!—on This New Walking Tour
Posted on 05/09/2019, 4:00 AM
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion of June 1969, when gay and transgender bargoers resisted a police raid on the Stonewall Inn of New York City's Greenwich Village. Rioting lasted for days and launched the modern movement for LGBTQ rights. Just in time for the big milestone, New York City Urban Adventures—part of a network of locally operated tour agencies under Intre...
Travel Podcasts: Food Worth Traveling For
Posted on 05/07/2019, 5:00 AM
Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC-770AM in New York and our nationally syndicated radio program. To start things off, hosts Pauline Frommer and Jason Cochran invite listeners to share special experiences—concerts, festivals, transporting restaurant meals—worth traveling for. ...
A Movie Studio’s Former Headquarters Is the Coolest New Hotel in Town
Posted on 05/06/2019, 2:45 PM
A historic, copper-topped building that once housed the Australian headquarters of Paramount Pictures has been turned into a boutique hotel in one of the hippest parts of Sydney.The 29-room Paramount House Hotel, which opened this spring, occupies space that was used for the studio's offices and film storage. Incorporating the building's original features with new touches, the interior has exposed ...
Stroll Above the Smokies on the USA’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge
Posted on 05/03/2019, 9:00 AM
Eastern Tennessee is now home to the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the United States.Opening May 17, Gatlinburg SkyBridge, located in the resort town that serves as a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stretches 680 feet across a deep valley, offering views of downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding mountains for those who venture across. At its highest point, the bridge hang...
Thanks a Lot, Instagram. Horseshoe Bend Now Has an Entry Fee
Posted on 04/22/2019, 3:00 PM
Many of the world's most beautiful places have become victims of their own Instagrammability, with hordes of selfie snappers causing congestion, safety concerns, and strains on infrastructure. As a result, officials at photogenic locales across the globe have introduced measures aimed at thinning crowds—or at least shifting some of the financial burden for upkeep onto tourists.The latest example: S...
Travel Podcasts: Treasured Landmarks from Notre-Dame to the Taj Mahal
Posted on 04/21/2019, 8:00 PM
Each week, Frommer's brings you two fresh podcasts stuffed with travel tips, news, and inspiration. Recordings are made from our weekly call-in show on WABC-770AM in New York and our nationally syndicated radio program. First up this week: The devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris prompts hosts Pauline Frommer and Jason Cochran to consider other iconic edifices in need of preservation...
Kid-Friendly Ninja Museum Opens at Historic Japanese Castle
Posted on 04/18/2019, 6:45 PM
A new museum in Japan shines a light on the shadowy history of ninjas, and, via kid-friendly interactive exhibits, gives visitors a chance to hone their own ninja skills. Opening April 20, the museum is located on the grounds of Odawara Castle, a 15th-century landmark about 80km (50 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The site is easily reached from that city by a short train ride, along the same route that...
This Rolling Hotel Moves to Wherever the Surf's Up
Posted on 04/09/2019, 3:15 PM
A new hotel makes traveling among the beaches of southwestern Portugal super-easy—because it's the hotel that does the traveling.The Truck Surf Hotel is just that: a cargo truck that has been converted into a surf hotel.The double-decker B&B on wheels features a kitchen, living area, bathroom, and large sliding doors on the lower level. Upstairs, hydraulic arms extend to make space for five dou...
South African President de Klerk's Retreat Becomes All-Inclusive Beach Lodge
Posted on 04/02/2019, 12:00 PM
The coastal retreat of former South African president F.W. de Klerk has been reborn as an all-inclusive, eco-conscious lodge overlooking an untouched, nearly 4-mile (6km)-long stretch of Indian Ocean beachfront. Set to open April 15, Lekkerwater Beach Lodge is located about a 3-hour drive east of Cape Town in a secluded area of De Hoop Nature Reserve, a landscape of sand and scrub between the ocean...
