Another day, another nice list of great places to explore next year.   National Geographic this week came out with its list of top places to go in 2027. There are tons of interesting, and both well and lesser-known places, on their list. Nat Geo is one of the top publications in the world, so it’s no surprise they pulled a few surprises, and a couple places even veteran travellers probably don’t know about.   Here’s their list, along with small snippets about each place, and where I can add something, a thought or two of my own. Salvador, Brazil: Read more

I’ve often been an advocate for travelling to popular places in shoulder season. Europe, in particular, is jammed with visitors in summer. But it can be just as delightful in  April or May, or in October or even November. Places like the Algarve in southern Portugal and Sicily in southern Italy are delightful most of the time in winter,  and Spain’s Canary Islands usually sport January temperatures in the low 20s, which makes it a great destination all year long. I received an email this week about Spanish tourism, and it said nearly half of Spain’s tourism activity (47%) now Read more

The Michelin Guide people are famous for their restaurant ratings, but they also have been doing hotel ratings for a few years. They recently granted Michelin keys (restaurants get stars, hotels get keys) to 42 Canadian properties. Two Canadian hotels received three keys for superb service and quality, those being the remarkable Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland and Labrador, and also Clayuquot Wilderness Lodge in British Columbia. Another eight hotels received two Michelin keys: The Hazelton Hotel Toronto, Manoir Hovey in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Whistler, Four Seasons Hotel Read more

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I’ve been a full-time travel writer since 2008, and that has allowed me to stay the night in some of the finest hotels the world has to offer. Just for fun, because I’m in Mexico as I write this and it’s raining, here are ten of the most luxurious places I’ve bedded down for the night. Hotel Hassler Roma, Rome. My daughter and I stayed here in, oh, 2012 or 2013 and had a room that looked down on the Spanish Steps. We had a small balcony and bought a bottle of wine and Read more

This makes perfect sense. India is a member of the Commonwealth. It’s the largest nation by population on earth. There are tons of India residents with family and friends in Canada, and there are many flights that run between the two countries. The Indian middle class also is growing, and they’re taking more international trips than ever. Which is why Destination Canada, Air Canada, and Lufthansa Group have announced a joint pilot aimed at attracting target travellers from South India to Canada. The intention is to influence prospective Indian travellers to choose Canada as their destination for spring and summer 2027 Read more

I love the mountains, and I love a quiet lake in a woodsy spot. But I’m definitely a summer person and a water person, so when people ask me about the best places I’ve travelled I almost always answer with an island destination, such as isolated Lord Howe Island in Australia. With that in mind, and given it’s the time of year when people start thinking about their top places to travel for the next year, here are some top islands to visit in 2027, with no particular order or ranking in mind. JIM’S TOP TEN ISLANDS TO VISIT PONZA, Read more