Wonderful Wanderings shares tips on things to do, where to eat and where to stay around the world - plus useful travel gear reviews.
How to Get from Los Angeles to Yosemite: Drive, Bus, Train or Fly
Los Angeles to Yosemite Valley is about 313 miles (504 km) and 6 hours by car on Highway 41. Bus and train both take 9 to 12 hours with a change at Merced, and no entrance reservation is needed in 2026.
Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands: A Day Trip From Moab
Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands' Island in the Sky make one day trip from Moab, but they charge separately: $20 a vehicle at the state park, where your America the Beautiful pass does not work, and $30 at Canyonlands.
San Diego Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour: Is It Worth It?
The Old Town Trolley loop is 25 miles, 11 stops and about 1 hour 45 minutes of riding, from $48.45 a day. What the ride is like, which stops to pick, and how to plan a day so you do not miss Old Town.
Driving in Los Angeles: Rules, Freeways and Parking
Driving in LA is easier than its reputation; parking is the hard part. What the coloured kerbs mean, which California rules differ from European ones, how the freeways work, and whether you need a car at all.
The 5 Best Day Hikes in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite's five best day hikes, with official distances and elevation gains: the Panorama, Four Mile, Pohono and Yosemite Falls trails plus Half Dome. No timed entry reservation is needed in 2026; Half Dome still needs a permit.
Where to Stay in Yellowstone: 6 Types of Lodging Compared
Yellowstone has nine lodges and 11 campgrounds inside the park, and both sell out. Campgrounds open six months ahead, lodges 366 days. Six types of accommodation compared, with 2026 fees, seasons and road dates.
Getty Center Los Angeles: Tickets, Hours and Parking
Admission to the Getty Center is free but now needs a free timed-entry reservation, and parking costs $25 per car, less after 3pm and free on Saturdays after 6pm. The museum is closed on Mondays.
One Week in Los Angeles: Day-by-Day Itinerary
One week in Los Angeles covers Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Downtown, a hike above the city, Malibu and the Getty, Hollywood with Chinatown and El Pueblo, and one day left open. Here is the day-by-day plan, plus where to stay in each area.
Hof ter Saksen: Castle Park and Arboretum near Antwerp
Hof ter Saksen is a free castle park in Beveren, 20 minutes from Antwerp, open daily from 9am. Its arboretum holds about 4,500 plant species from China and Japan, and the Orangerie cafeteria sells juice from the estate's own orchard.
Belfries of Belgium: 10 UNESCO Towers Worth Visiting
Belgium's belfries are not ten World Heritage Sites but one: the Belfries of Belgium and France holds 56 towers, 33 of them Belgian. Here are 10 worth visiting, with the heights, step counts and 2026 ticket prices for the five you can climb.
Villers Abbey Belgium: Tickets, Opening Hours and History
Villers Abbey is a Cistercian ruin 30 km south of Brussels, founded in 1146 and abandoned in 1796. Adult entry is EUR 10 in 2026, it opens daily all year except four dates, and last admission is an hour before closing.
Meise Botanic Garden, Brussels: Tickets, Hours and What to See
Meise Botanic Garden is Belgium's national botanic garden, 92 hectares north of Brussels rather than the Botanique in the city centre. An adult ticket costs €15, and bus R50 from Brussels-North stops at the gate in 35 minutes.
Airports in Belgium: All 8 and Which One to Fly Into
Belgium has 8 airports, but only Brussels, Charleroi, Ostend-Bruges and Antwerp sell scheduled seats. Liege lost its last passenger route in January 2026 and now runs on freight, which is the change most guides have missed.
Liège Province: a 3-Day Itinerary of Unusual Things to Do
Three days in Liege province: the Leroux Tower above Trois-Ponts, the Pierre Noufy witches' rock, Europe's longest underground boat ride at Remouchamps, Belgium's highest point in the High Fens, and Val Saint-Lambert in its bicentenary year.
Fort Breendonk: Belgium’s SS Prison Camp and Memorial
Fort Breendonk near Willebroek was the SS-Auffanglager the Nazis ran from 1940 to 1944, where 3,590 people were imprisoned and 303 died. It is a national memorial today, open daily with last entry at 3.30pm.
26 Best Things to Do in Antwerp, Belgium in Two Days
The 26 best things to do in Antwerp, from Central Station and the Plantin-Moretus printing house to the MAS rooftop, the diamond district and Middelheim. What to see in one day, in two, for free and in the rain.
10 Things to Do in Kolkata: Trams, Street Food and Durga Puja
Ten things to do in Kolkata, from rosogolla and a Park Street roll to Kumortuli's clay idols and Durga Puja. Note that the tram network is now a single heritage route between Esplanade and Maidan, and the Oberoi Grand is closed for restoration.
Popular Indian Cuisine: 10 Dishes You Should Know
Indian cuisine varies sharply by region: the north cooks with wheat, dairy and the tandoor, the south with rice, lentils and coconut, and "curry" is a British term, not an Indian dish name.
Vegetarian Food in Hampi: 7 Restaurants and What to Order
Every restaurant in Hampi is pure vegetarian, so the question is which one to pick. These 7 cover Mango Tree, Suresh, Ravi's Rose, Funky Monkey, Chill Out in Bamboo, Moon Light and 1985, with the dish to order and the river-crossing times.
Austria Travel Safety: Emergency Numbers and Real Risks
Austria is a safe country to travel in, and its real risks are alpine rather than criminal. Dial 112 for any emergency and 140 for mountain rescue, and know that a European Health Insurance Card does not pay for a helicopter.
Where to Stay in Austria: 7 Hotels Across 5 Regions
Where you stay in Austria should follow the region, not a single base, because its distances are short and its valleys are not connected. Seven hotels across five regions, from an Innsbruck design hotel to a working alm.
Things to Do in Zillertal, Austria: 7 Ideas
Seven things to do in Zillertal, Austria in summer: two waterfall hikes, lunch above the Hintertux Glacier, the Panorama Terrace at 3,250 m, a boat trip inside the Natur Eis Palast ice cave, fishing at the Bochra See in Stumm and the autumn Almabtrieb.
Places to Visit in Austria in Summer: An 8-Day Road Trip
Austria's summer season runs from late April to early November. This 8-day road trip covers five regions, from Innsbruck to Salzburg, with the 2026 season dates, tolls and ticket prices for every stop and what closes when.
Culinary St Jacobs Way, Ischgl: Now Culinary Paznaun
The Culinary St Jacobs Way is a summer hiking and eating trail in Tyrol's Paznaun valley, where a chef adopts each mountain hut and the hut serves that dish all season. It now runs as Culinary Paznaun, across nine huts.
One Week in Vorarlberg, Austria: A 7-Day Itinerary
A 7-day Vorarlberg itinerary across six regions: the Lünersee, the Gauertaler AlpkulTour, the Milka outlet in Bludenz, the gypsum holes of Lech, the Krumbach moors and BUS:STOP shelters, and the Kleinwalsertal, with 2026 cable car and Lech Card prices.
Best Museums in Vienna for Klimt, Schiele and Modernism
The Leopold Museum holds the world's largest Schiele collection, the Upper Belvedere holds Klimt's The Kiss and the Secession holds his Beethoven Frieze. Here is what each costs in 2026 and which day it is closed.
Bregenzerwald, Austria: How to Spend 2 Days
How to spend 2 days in the Bregenzerwald in Austria: craft and mountain around Andelsbuch and Bezau on day 1, golf at Riefensberg and a village walk in Mellau on day 2. The Andelsbuch chairlift is gone, so the Niedere is now reached from Bezau.
Books About Austria: 5 Classics Worth Reading
Five books about Austria worth reading before you go: Maria von Trapp's memoir, Joseph Roth's The Radetzky March, Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday, Elfriede Jelinek's The Piano Teacher and Irvin Yalom's When Nietzsche Wept. All five are still in print in English.
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis Winter 2026-27: Ski Pass and Things to Do
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis runs its 2026-27 season from 4 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with an adult day ski pass at €80.50. Here are 12 things to do on the plateau, the mountain restaurants worth booking, and the two attractions that only run in summer.
Viennese Waltz Steps: A Beginner’s Lesson in Vienna
The Viennese waltz is built from a natural turn, a reverse turn and the change steps between them, all on one three-step square. Here are the beginner's steps, the 180 bpm tempo, and where to take a class in Vienna.
Things to Do in Bregenz, Feldkirch and Dornbirn, Austria
Bregenz, Dornbirn and Feldkirch sit within 20 minutes of each other by train, so three days covers all three: Lake Constance and the Pfänder cable car, the Karren mountain, and Feldkirch's medieval centre.
77 Fun Facts About Austria, Every One Fact-Checked
77 facts about Austria, each checked against an official or primary source: a landlocked country of nine states and 9.2 million people, two-thirds of which sits above 500 m because most of it is mountain.
Krimml Waterfalls: 2026 Season, Tickets and How to Visit
The Krimml Waterfalls drop 380 m over three cascades in the Hohe Tauern National Park, and the waterfall path is open from 1 May to the end of October 2026, with an adult path fee of €9.00. From November to April the path is closed.
Austria in Winter 2026-27: 12 Things to Do If You Don’t Ski
You do not need a lift pass to fill a week in Austria in winter. Here are 12 things to do without skiing, what a 2026-27 lift pass costs if the rest of your group does, and which resort suits which ability.
23 Things to Do in Oslo: Museums, Fjord and Forest
Vigeland Sculpture Park, MUNCH, the polar ships on Bygdøy and the Holmenkollen ski jump are the things to do in Oslo almost every visitor keeps on the list. Here are 23, with what each costs and how to reach it.
Norway Destinations: 16 Cities and Towns, and How to Choose
Norway's 16 main destinations, from Oslo and Bergen to Tromso and Bodo, with what each one is for, how to reach it and when to go. Oslo's Viking Ship Museum has been closed since 2021 and reopens as the Museum of the Viking Age in 2027.
18 Things to Do in Tromsø: Northern Lights and Whales
The northern lights, the Fjellheisen cable car, the Arctic Cathedral and a whale safari shape most trips to Tromsø, and three of the four depend on the month you come. Here are 18 things to do, with the season each one needs.
Street Art in Athens: Neighborhoods, Artists and a Route
Athens street art clusters in six neighborhoods: Exarcheia, Metaxourgeio, Psyrri, Monastiraki, Gazi and Kerameikos, plus the lanes of Plaka and Anafiotika. They are close enough to walk in a single day.
Snorkeling in Zakynthos: 7 Spots and the Marine Park Rules
Snorkel in Zakynthos from May to October at Laganas, Kalamaki, the Keri Caves, Gerakas, Dafni, Marathonisi and Capo Marathia. The southern bay is a national marine park, so boats, fishing and turtle distance are all regulated.
18 Things to Do in Mykonos, Greece, and What They Cost
Mykonos rewards 3 days: one for Chora and the windmills, one for Delos, one for a beach. Here are 18 things to do in Mykonos with what each costs, plus the ferries, the buses and when to go.
Cooking Class in Crete: What to Expect and How to Book
A cooking class in Crete means a few hours in a home or farm kitchen, cooking traditional dishes with a local host and then eating them. Most run 2 to 4 hours, cost roughly €60 to €120 per adult, and sit in or near Chania.
Chania Food Tour: What You Eat and Where to Find It
A Chania food tour walks the old town for three to four hours, stopping at coffee roasters, bakeries, cheese shops and an olive oil seller. Expect mountain tea, loukoumades, barley rusk, kalitsounia and graviera.
Visiting the Acropolis in Athens: Tickets, Hours and Tips
A full ticket to the Acropolis of Athens costs €30 and a reduced ticket €15, the site opens at 08:00 daily, and entry is by timed slot booked in advance at the Ministry of Culture's own store. Allow about two hours on the hill.
Pink Beach Crete: Elafonissi Travel Guide & How to Get There
Crete's pink beach is Elafonissi, on the southwest coast near Chania. The pink color comes from crushed foraminifera shell, the beach is a protected Natura 2000 site, and taking the sand home is illegal.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026: Dates, Rituals, Shrines
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival runs from 10 to 18 October 2026, nine days and free to watch. It is the Nine Emperor Gods Festival: a vegan fast, devotees in white, and spirit mediums pierced through the cheeks who walk barefoot through Phuket Town.
Almabtrieb Festival in Austria: What It Is and 2026 Dates
An Almabtrieb is the autumn cattle drive that brings Austrian cows down from their summer mountain pastures to the valley farm, decorated and on foot. In 2026 almost every Zillertal drive falls on 19 or 26 September.
42 Festivals in Belgium 2026-2027: Dates and Where to Go
Belgium runs a festival almost every weekend from May to September. This guide tracks all 42, from Tomorrowland to Hapje-Tapje, with verified 2026 and 2027 dates where announced.
Sziget Festival Review 2027: Tickets, Camping and Tips
Sziget Festival 2027 runs from 10 to 14 August on Óbuda Island in Budapest, and a 5-day pass costs €349 plus a €23 handling fee. This is my first-hand review of a full week on the island: the stages, the camping, the food prices and how to get there.
Xolo Review: Estonian Company Formation, Plans and Pricing
Xolo Go is free and takes 5.9% on payouts; Xolo Leap starts at €59 a month and forms an Estonian company for you. Here is what the setup was actually like, what Estonia charges on top, and the two terms worth reading first.
Review of Cathay Pacific Premium Economy: is the price worth it?
Cathay Pacific Premium Economy is worth the price if you sleep badly in Economy: around 40 inches of pitch, calf and foot rests, boarding after Business, and free WiFi for Cathay members. Here is the cabin, the lounge rules and the baggage allowance.
Pacsafe Passport Wallet Review: The Daysafe RFID Wallet
The Pacsafe Daysafe passport wallet is a slim RFID blocking travel wallet with 8 card slots, a passport pocket and a full-length zip, weighing 80 g. Pacsafe has replaced it with the RFIDsafe travel wallet at $89.95.
Havaianas review: sizing, fit and Slim vs regular models
Havaianas run large if you order by your European size, because the number on the label is Brazilian: the Havaianas 35/36 is a European 37/38. Here is how the paired sizing works, how Slim differs from regular, and how the Freedom sandal wears.
Packable K-way rain jacket review: is it truly waterproof?
The K-way packable rain jacket is properly waterproof rather than shower-resistant, and it kept me dry through a full day of heavy rain in Barcelona. Here is how it handles wind, how the sizing runs, and how to fold it back into its own pocket.
18 Top Things to Do in Bucharest: Museums and History
The 18 things to do in Bucharest start with the Palace of the Parliament, the Romanian Athenaeum, the open-air Village Museum in Herastrau Park and the Old Town around Curtea Veche, and run through the museums on Calea Victoriei and Kiseleff.
17 Top Things to Do in Cluj-Napoca: Museums and History
The main things to do in Cluj-Napoca are St. Michael's Church and Unirii Square, the ethnographic museums, Central Park and the Botanical Garden, the view from Cetatuia Hill, and day trips to the Turda Salt Mine and Hoia-Baciu forest.
18 Best Things to Do in Constanta: Museums and History
The 18 things to do in Constanta start with the Casino, reopened in May 2025 after four years of restoration, the Roman Mosaic Edifice and Ovidiu Square, the Carol I Mosque and its 140-step minaret, and the beaches at Modern and Mamaia.
19 Great Things to Do in Brasov, Romania: A Local Guide
The main things to do in Brasov are Council Square and the Black Church in the Saxon old town, the cable car up Mount Tampa, the surviving walls and gates, and day trips to Bran Castle, the Libearty bear sanctuary and the Seven Ladders Canyon.
Things to Do in Breda: A Walking Route, Food and Shopping
Breda's old centre walks in a morning: Spanjaardsgat, Kasteelplein, Valkenberg park, the Begijnhof, the Willem Merkxtuin and the Grote Markt. It is the seat of the House of Orange-Nassau, an hour from Rotterdam and Antwerp.
16 Best Destinations in Romania to Visit All Year Round
The 16 destinations worth planning a Romanian trip around are Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Timisoara, Constanta, Alba Iulia, Iasi, Oradea, Targu Mures, Suceava, Arad, Baia Mare, Braila, Bacau and Pitesti. Pick one region and stay in it.
Halloween in Romania 2026: Bran Castle Party and Dracula
Bran Castle runs its 2026 Halloween programme from 24 October to 1 November, with the party on the night of 31 October. The Blood Moon package costs 800 lei (about €152, $177, £131) and tickets are sold to the public, not only through tour operators.
17 Cool Things to Do in Timisoara: Museums and History
The main things to do in Timisoara are the three linked squares of the old Habsburg fortress, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Roman Catholic Dome, the umbrella street and the Communist Consumer Museum, all within one walkable centre.
Things to Do in Amsterdam Noord: A 2-Day Itinerary
Amsterdam Noord fills 2 days, and the free ferry behind Centraal Station gets you there in under five minutes: A'DAM LOOKOUT, Eye Filmmuseum, the NDSM shipyard, De Ceuvel and a 21 km cycle into open countryside.
Rotterdam Unlimited: the Summer Carnival and Street Parade
Rotterdam Unlimited is a free summer carnival held in central Rotterdam every July, and its Saturday Straatparade turns the city centre into a Caribbean carnival: around 30 groups and 2,500 dancers over a 5 km route.
Things to Do in Zutphen, Deventer and Doesburg: Hanseatic Trip
Zutphen, Deventer and Doesburg are three Hanseatic towns on the IJssel that fit into a long weekend. Zutphen has the chained library and the whisper boats, Deventer the tower climb and Europe's largest book market, Doesburg the country's oldest cafe.
What to Pack for Quebec in Winter: a Tested Packing List
Pack for Quebec in winter around merino base layers, a windproof shell and knee-high snow boots. A tested 10-day list from Quebec City, Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham, where it hits -30C.
A Weekend in Zeeland: Beaches, Middelburg and Things to Do
A weekend in Zeeland is a beach weekend: the same North Sea as the Belgian coast an hour south, almost no high-rise, and enough empty sand that you can sit with metres of it around you even in July.
Rotterdam Street Art and Graffiti: Routes, Map and Murals
Rotterdam's street art is mapped, free to follow and organised into walking routes by neighbourhood, and the tool to use is Rewriters010's website rather than an app: 247 artworks, 12 artists and 9 routes across the city.
Fun Things to Do in Utrecht Province: 4 Day Trips
The 4 best day trips in Utrecht province are Woerden for cheese, Spakenburg for the botter fleet, Amersfoort for the medieval gates and the Mondriaan house, and Castle De Haar. All four sit within 45 minutes of Utrecht city.
Things to Do in The Hague, Netherlands: One Day Itinerary
A one-day walking itinerary for The Hague: the old shopping lanes, the Hofvijver, Panorama Mesdag and the Peace Palace in the morning, then Scheveningen beach and the pier. Includes what is closed for renovation and where to eat.
17 Hip Rotterdam Cafes and Other Foodie Hot Spots
17 Rotterdam cafes, terraces and foodie hot spots, all eaten at in person and all re-checked to confirm they still trade. Includes addresses, what to order, which terraces are covered and where to stay within walking distance.
What to Do in Rotterdam in a Weekend: 16 Places to See
A two-day Rotterdam itinerary: the centre and the Markthal on day one, the river, Kop van Zuid, Katendrecht and the Luchtsingel on day two. 16 places with addresses, walking distances and what each one actually costs.
5 Parks in Rotterdam, from Kralingse Bos to the Dakpark
Rotterdam's five best parks are the Kralingse Bos with its 5 km lake walk, the 215-hectare Zuiderpark, Het Park under the Euromast, the Dakpark on a shopping-centre roof and the Vroesenpark barbecue lawn.
Marrakech Food Tours: What a Medina Food Tour Is Really Like
A first-hand account of an evening Marrakech food tour through the medina, from a butcher's pit oven to the man who burns the city's rubbish to heat the hammam. The operator now trades as Moroccan Food Adventures, not Marrakech Food Tours.
40 Interesting Facts About Morocco, Checked and Sourced
Morocco's oldest university has taught without a break since 859, its tree-climbing goats are lifted into the branches by hand, and the country holds about 68% of the world's phosphate reserves. Here are 40 facts, each traced to a named source.
18 Things to Do in Stockholm: Museums, Parks and Boat Tours
The 18 things to do in Stockholm below cover the Vasa Museum, Skansen, ABBA The Museum, the Royal Palace, Södermalm, the parks and a canal boat tour. Three to four days covers the list at a comfortable pace.
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