#travel

#travel

There's nothing quite like stepping into a fresh pair of sneakers while on vacation. If you have a trip planned, look to Target, which recently released over 80 pairs of walking shoes that resemble styles from top brands like On Cloud, New Balance, and Puma. As a bonus, some of the Target sneakers are already available at a discount. The retailer's latest sneaker drop includes the Rykä Devotion Fuse Walking Shoes, which one shopper said "didn't pinch anywhere" during their 10-day trip to Europe,

Everyone loves an optical illusion - even if they leave us completely stumped - and they're all around us in the natural world. From an underwater waterfall in the Indian Ocean to a surrealist scene in Namibia, we rounded up 18 naturally occurring illusions and optical phenomena that will make you double-take. If you can't fathom how these places are real, there's good news: Some of the locations named on this list are accessible to visitors,

The rain came early that winter and didn't stop. Scotland, where I live, is known for its miserable weather, but this was something different. The pavements were peppered with deep puddles, and grassy areas wilted into mud. It felt as though we hadn't seen the sun in months. I would sit in my apartment, watching droplets trickle down the windows, and find myself googling Andalusia-checking the weather there, looking at photos of sunny plazas and orange trees.

I'm much less reluctant of a traveler than I was since I'm getting much more out of the experiences of being there, but getting there is still an issue,

From exploring one of the UK's best small art galleries to taking a boat along its myriad waterways to visiting a nearby beach, the day is wide open with possibilities, while Birmingham's exceptional gastro scene comes alive when night falls. Whether it's sampling Michelin star restaurants in the city centre or bar hopping out in lively neighbourhoods like Moseley or Stirchley, activities in Birmingham are always first-class.

I've flown into Paris, and been in the airport, but I've never spent time in Paris, nor London,

As we boarded the ferry from Naples to Ischia, all I could think about was how similar it felt to standing in line at a theme park. Anticipation and anxiety hung in the air, along with the faint, sweet smell of sunscreen. Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat. But we took it all in stride because a big payoff-in this case, that roller coaster high of a fabulous Italian island vacation-was waiting on the other side.

Throughout his life and career, Anthony Bourdain gained a broad perspective by traveling the globe and sharing his experiences, usually with honesty and candor through his uniquely poetic prose. Whether it was his unabashed love for meat and sausages or his distaste for the famed James Beard Awards, Bourdain usually made his feelings clear about anything food or travel-related, and he had a healthy respect for underappreciated cuisines and cultures.

But before you flop down on the bed or open up your suitcase to grab some fresh clothes, there's one thing you should do first, and that's put your luggage in the hotel room's bathtub or shower. No, it's not because suitcases are covered in germs and you should be mindful about where you put them (although that's another consideration). Rather, it's to keep your luggage away from any fabric surfaces, like bedding or carpets, where bed bugs-the bane of all travelers-may be hiding.

Artist Marc Craig created this blue whale in the graffiti tunnels under Waterloo station. The figure is my partner Ian, who is standing underneath the eye the scale is awesome.' Photograph: Patricia Pearl I discovered hundreds of these feather-horned beetles (Rhipicera femorata) flying around in a mating frenzy while on a walk at Cape Conran. To get this photo, I had go out early in the morning while they were resting before the day warmed up.' Photograph: Geoff Boyes

I was flying back to France from the UK after a friend's funeral. I'd been living in Paris doing a French-language course and living with a host family who, to be honest, weren't particularly welcoming. It was late at night when I got back to the apartment, only to find the entrance code to the building had changed something the host family had neglected to mention. They must have already been in bed, because nobody was answering my calls.

"Where in the world do I feel happiest?" Eugene Levy muses, gazing thoughtfully around the room. "Well, at home, I guess. When you're away, you're travelling and trying to have fun, but in a way it feels like hard work. It is very natural to be happiest in a place that you're most comfortable, which is home. For anyone unfamiliar with Eugene's TV series - one which involves him travelling all over the world - this might seem a surprising answer.

Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam reachable by plane in two hours from Hong Kong and three from Singapore. Although not as famous as other Southeast Asian beach hotspots such as Phuket and Bali, it is close to some famous Vietnamese sights, including Hoi An, the Ba Na Hills and the Hue Imperial City. Da Nang can be roughly divided into two main sections: the beach side and the city side.

Nearly half the country is covered by forest, most of it publicly owned and lots available for exploring. Folks who want to experience Canada's wild should beeline to one of its famed preserves. And this month, National Geographic released a handy list of 10 national parks in Canada you need to visit, with details on each place's attractions and best seasons.

Located less than two hours from Santiago - the capital of Chile - is a beautiful coastal city that, in my opinion, falls under the radar when compared to other popular South American destinations. Nestled on the country's Pacific Coast, Valparaíso is known for its hillside houses, street art, and bohemian culture. Its historic quarter is even a UNESCO World Heritage site. My boyfriend and I took a day trip there from Santiago, but I wish I could have spent a night or two in the lively city. Here's why I loved visiting Valparaíso.

There will be drastic differences in fall foliage across this country this year,

"It's hard," Elyse said. "It's really, really, hard, ridiculously hard. You have to love it. For me, it's much easier than for some. I'm much happier doing those hard things, trying to find somewhere to live every month, figuring out travel arrangements and dealing with things like getting robbed at gunpoint. That's much easier and fulfilling than having a 9-to-5 job where I'm in one place all the time. Being in one place makes me feel like I am going to go insane."

When I moved to New York City soon after turning 20, my journey quickly took me away from my familiar surroundings in Romania. Getting married early and fully immersing myself in a new culture meant growing up fast. Trips back home became scarce, at best once or twice a year. Every time I returned, something was different. Each of us changed in some way. But what always stayed the same was mom picking me up from the airport , smiling.

I used to travel with a lot of bags because I had just so many things for my profession,

Among the top 10 countries whose people travel the most, Finland ranked third globally for traveling internationally, with each person averaging 1.7 trips annually. In terms of domestic travel, Finland came in second place behind the U.S., averaging 5.8 domestic trips per person. The combined number of domestic and international trips per person put Finland in first place globally as the country with the most frequent travelers per capita.

I was feeling quite exhausted after the flight, and while walking down a steep cobblestone street, I tripped. I flew through the air and fell flat on the ground, face first. For some reason, the instinct to put my hands out to cushion the fall hadn't kicked in, so I landed straight on my chin. I knew immediately that my jaw was broken I'd heard the awful crack. Before long, blood was gushing down my face.

Officially founded in 1821 as the capital of the then-Arkansas Territory, Little Rock gets its name from an actual little rock, which still sits on the riverfront. In 1722, a French exploration party saw the rock on the Arkansas River and dubbed the site and the nearby bluff, " le petite roche " or "the little rock." Originally, the area was Quapaw land, but it slowly became a well-known trading hub in the region for those traveling west.

but I think we need a more fortified shelter. No longer vacationers, now survivalists, we need to find someplace with a cellar, someplace welcoming to wanderers - a church, a school, maybe a neighborly family farm? Fragments of a heroic fantasy appear to me: we're outrunning a tunnel of wind and cloud, throwing open heavy bulkhead doors and slipping into a warm, candlelit bunker, where the shock and adrenaline of the moment fade and are replaced by an animal relief.