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☆ The No. 1 'underrated' city in the world, according to 175 travel experts: It's the 'new hot city'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sharael Kolberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As a travel journalist for over 20 years, I recently asked 175 travel enthusiasts, experts and agents about what they think is the most underrated city to visit. "Bologna is very up-and-coming and poised to be the new hot Italian city to visit," says Tom Marchant, founder of luxury traveling company Black Tomato. "[Bologna] quite possibly has the best food scene in all of Italy," says Jeff Miller, a travel blogger at Our Passion for Travel. the "Disney World of food"), Bologna's 20-acre theme park entirely dedicated to Italian cuisine. Bologna is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 38.5 miles of porticoes, or arched walkways.

☆ A village that's believed to have inspired the film 'Frozen' has a wall installed to stop tourists flocking there for selfies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Austrian village has had a temporary wall installed in a bid to cut visitor numbers, per CNN. The Alpine village has a tiny population but has been plagued with overtourism for years. However, visitor numbers can reach up to 10,000 visitors a day, according to the BBC. The area is thought to be the inspiration for Arendelle, the fictional setting for Disney's hit film. To combat the crowds, other villages and cities have instituted measures to reduce tourists.

☆ Quito: Ecuador’s underrated capital city was the first to become a UNESCO site
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sandra Macgregor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Singular churchesInside the Spanish colonial church of San Francisco in the city center of Quito. The museum even puts on a variety of shows, including a karaoke night of traditional Ecuadorian song. It’s especially busy at lunchtime when it fills to capacity with locals looking to indulge in affordable traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Guided toursMetropolitan Touring’s “Live Quito Like a Local” walking tour is great for visitors with only a day or two to explore Quito.

☆ Travel news: Summer flights, best beaches and tourist-deterring fences
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —In travel news this week, why this summer could be a record-breaking one for air travel, America’s best beaches and Asian-American fusion cuisine – plus an Austrian village takes an unusual approach to combating unwelcome tourist behavior. Celebrating Asian American heritageGrowing up in North Carolina in the 1980s and ’90s, Kevin Lambert always felt different from his White peers. The United States has long been described as a “melting pot,” and it sure is delicious. 1 beach in the United States, which is on the Gulf of Mexico, has miles of pristine sand. nobleIMAGES/Alamy Stock Photo The best beaches in the United States in 2023 Prev NextHalf of the top 10 beaches in the United States for 2023 are in Florida and Hawaii, according to the latest annual report from coastal scientist “Dr.

It was against that backdrop that Biden and his fellow leaders entered three days of talks. Biden faces his fellow world leaders Friday in Japan under the shadow of a looming default on US debt, a scenario his advisers said risks subverting American leadership and sending the global economy into tailspin. The risk appears particularly acute as Biden works to rally fellow G7 officials behind a shared approach toward Russia and China. The conflict will be a key topic of discussion for world leaders Friday. Biden and fellow leaders were planning to discuss how much progress has been made on the battlefield, with an eye toward helping Ukraine regain territory and assume leverage in potential peace talks.

☆ Cyclone Mocha: Myanmar junta travel restrictions are holding up vital aid to cyclone-hit communities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Myanmar’s military junta is holding up humanitarian access to some cyclone-hit communities in western Rakhine state after Cyclone Mocha devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the poorest parts of the country. Storm damage has hampered efforts to access rural and hard-to-reach areas while pre-existing travel restrictions imposed by the junta have delayed the delivery of vital aid to communities in urgent need. “It seems that many agencies haven’t even been able to conduct needs assessments, let alone deliver aid, because SAC (junta) officials have not granted travel authorization. This is extremely worrying.”A girl draws water from a pump at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha. A Rohingya woman stands in her damaged house at Basara refugee camp in Sittwe on May 16 following Cyclone Mocha.

☆ Scafell Pike: Dog rescued after scaling England's highest mountain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A 13-strong rescue team has rescued an “injured and exhausted” dog from England’s highest mountain in an operation lasting more than four hours. ET), according to the Keswick Mountain Rescue team, which sent 13 members to assist. The dog was carried down Scafell Pike in a bag on a stretcher. The rescue operation took a total of five hours and 16 team members of the Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team. The walking there is legendary, whether it’s scaling Scafell Pike or exploring wilder hills like Blencathra, further north.

☆ Hegra has been inhabited for 12,000 years -- but has only had tourists for four
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.”"Hinat" greets travelers at the Hegra visitor's center. Now, travelers can see her in the Hegra visitors’ center. Expand your searchMany visitors combine their Hegra trip with visits to the smaller nearby historic sites of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. Don’t miss the covered outdoor station near the Hegra visitor’s center, where you can practice using a small chisel to carve your name or initials into pieces of stone.

☆ Ten lions killed in southern Kenya as human-wildlife conflict escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ten lions have been killed in southern Kenya this past week, including six on Saturday alone, as human-wildlife conflict escalates in the region, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). This is “an unusually large number of lions to be killed at one go,” a spokesperson for the KWS told CNN on Sunday. The six lions that died on Saturday had killed 11 goats and one dog, the KWS said in a press release on Saturday. “The discussions centered on exploring ways to minimize the risk of human-wildlife conflict, including developing early warning systems to alert communities to the presence of wildlife in their vicinity,” said the KWS. “Further discussions centered on the wider picture of exploring human-wildlife conflict in the context of community livelihoods and benefit sharing towards a harmonious coexistence in the open community and wildlife landscapes,” it added.

☆ They've been beaten, trolled, threatened with sexual violence but refuse to be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Adie Vanessa Offiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ixchíu Hernández had already been the victim of years of online threats -- attempts to humiliate and silence her. Published in April 2021, it reveals: "Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the 'shadow pandemic' of violence against women during COVID-19. "Online violence against women journalists is designed to: belittle, humiliate, and shame; induce fear, silence, and retreat; discredit them professionally, undermining accountability journalism and trust in facts; and chill their active participation...in public debate. Ricchiardi-Folwell explains that because of the often-sexualized nature of the attacks, women remain silent about their harassment, which leads them to believe they are alone. Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2021 and updated to reference the latest report by UNESCO.

☆ Veracruz state: Home of the flying Voladores, Mexico's top coffee and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Leffel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Voladores of Veracruz in Mexico have a history that goes back at least 1,400 years. “The flying ritual has never had a learning age, it is a project of a lifetime,” he says. Nearly all of the Voladores train in or around Papantla, where the flying schools prepare young people to take over for those who are eventually aging out. Coffee, ancient ruins and an overlooked capital cityMen with ankle ropes flying deftly around a pole are not the only export from this state, though. The big draw, however, is Mexico’s second most important archaeological museum after the one in Mexico City.

☆ A year in Azerbaijan: From the Grand Prix to the ski slopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Words Cnn Staff | Photo Illustrations Woojin Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Anyone who has tuned in to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has seen a tantalizing glimpse of what the capital Baku has to offer. This year’s Grand Prix comes at the height of spring, often said to be Azerbaijan’s most beautiful season. Juan Vilata/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in spring Prev NextSummers in Azerbaijan are hot, so getting out of the city is a good idea. Alexander Melnikov/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in fall Prev NextWrap up, because even at its coldest Azerbaijan still has plenty to offer. You’ll learn much more at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

☆ The live volcano sitting below Santorini
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Elinda Labropoulou | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Everywhere you look on Santorini, you’re reminded that you’re on a volcano. Few realize that beneath the hypnotic kaleidoscope of colors lies an active volcano. The East Mediterranean’s most active underwater, and potentially dangerous, volcano, Kolumbo, is five miles northeast of Santorini and part of the same volcanic system. They include a visit to the volcano of Nea Kameni: one of five islands that form the Santorini volcanic complex, and a national geological park in itself. A simmering volcanoTourists can take boat trips to Nea Kameni, home to an active volcano.

☆ Thai zoo breeds endangered vultures hoping to see them soar again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Napat Wesshasartar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, April 25 (Reuters) - Four times a day, Thai conservationist Watchiradol Phangpanya puts on a black, long-sleeved shirt, red gloves, and a red balaclava, hoping to imitate an endangered red-headed vulture feeding its baby. [1/3] A new born red-headed vulture is pictured at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Thailand, April 15, 2023. As a scavenger, the red-headed vulture used to play a crucial role in the ecosystem by consuming animal carcasses. After nearly two decades of trying to increase the red-headed vulture population, the zoo is starting to see results, with another egg being incubated by its parents in conservation. "We would like to see the Asian king vulture soar once again through the skies of Thailand," he said.

☆ How to put your best travel foot forward for Earth Day 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But you don’t have to totally cut out travel or stay super close to home to be a good planetary citizen. You need a city that’s dedicated to getting it right to best enjoy an urban biking vacation. Here, we've curated 30 of our favorite corners, including the Thu Bon River, which flows through central Vietnam. A maze of rivers and caves, the UNESCO World Centre is defined by its craggy limestone facades and jade green water. Bruno De Hogues/Photodisc/Getty Images Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is heaven for spelunkers.

☆ These are the 10 best destinations in the world for an eco-friendly vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rotterdam, Netherlands, is the best city for a sustainable vacation, according to a 2023 report from Kayak. Rotterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands Graz, Austria Trondheim, Norway Munich, Germany Helsinki, Finland Stockholm, Sweden Zurich, Switzerland Gothenburg, Sweden Vienna, AustriaRotterdam and Amsterdam, both in the Netherlands, took the No. The Netherlands city is the second-largest in the country and Europe's largest seaport. The city, known as "the Venice of the North," is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its iconic canal district. The channels' design is considered an example of town planning that influenced the world for centuries, according to UNESCO.

☆ Solar eclipse tourism in Exmouth, Western Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse will last for 62 seconds. That’s the hope for Exmouth and the surrounding Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, which are hoping that April 20th’s once-in-a-decade natural phenomenon could kick off a tourism boom that lasts well beyond the eclipse. “They’re pretty intimidated but also very excited,” Roger Cook, Deputy Premier of Western Australia state, tells CNN about the residents of Exmouth. And there’s some evidence of the region’s growing prominence on the international stage: CNN Travel selected Western Australia for our list of the best places to visit in 2023. Altogether, Western Australia state spent 20 million AUD ($13.5 million) on infrastructure updates for the eclipse, which included everything from water and sanitation services to additional parking.

☆ Beyond Kyoto: Japan recommends 11 lesser-known spots to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Rob Goss | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Japan wants travelers to go beyond the country's iconic tourist sites — and consider spending their yen in lesser-known locations. CNBC Travel takes a look at what each of the 11 spots has to offer travelers — whether or not they're wealthy. Koichi Kamoshida | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIse-shima is arguably the "model destination" most ready to welcome the JTA's wealthy targets. Kagoshima, Aso and UnzenThe island of Kyushu in western Japan feature everything from active volcanoes to glimpses of samurai culture. Okinawa and AmamiIn 2021, Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, the northern part of Okinawa's main island, and Iriomote Island were given joint UNESCO Natural World Heritage status for their biodiversity and endemic wildlife.

☆ A Pink Door Is Deemed Too Bright for Edinburgh
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Lauren Mccarthy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Miranda Dickson returned to Edinburgh in 2021 after several years abroad, she began renovating a three-story Georgian townhouse in the Scottish city’s New Town district. Ms. Dickson painted the front door pink. In early 2022, the new paint job was brought to the attention of the City of Edinburgh Council, which asked her to repaint the door white. Ms. Dickson was issued an enforcement notice ordering her to “remove the unauthorized bright pink paint” from the door and “to restore the previous colour scheme.” Failure to comply, it said, could lead to a fine of up to 20,000 pounds, or nearly $25,000. Finally, having exhausted her appeals, Ms. Dickson relented and repainted the door this week, ahead of the Thursday deadline she said that the city had given her.

☆ ‘World’s longest’ purpose-built cycling tunnel opens in Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A three-kilometer-long (1.8-mile) cycling and pedestrian tunnel has been blasted through the base of Løvstakken mountain and its makers say it’s the longest purpose-built tunnel of its kind. Ronny Turøy/Bybanen UtbyggingIt takes a little under 10 minutes to whizz through the tunnel by bike and around 40 if strolling by foot. “This makes it more pleasant to use than if one would just walk on asphalt.”The tunnel was constructed in parallel with a new tram line. NCC/Bybanen UtbyggingThe new tunnel came about as a byproduct of Bergen’s second Bybanen tram line, which opened in November 2022. The tram line through the mountain required a parallel evacuation tunnel, so the developers decided to make the new tunnel multipurpose.

☆ Al-Balad: Where Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry began
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the beating heart of this city, Al-Balad, is more than a thousand years old, and it has been immaculately preserved as a reminder of Saudi Arabia’s history – specifically, Jeddah’s role as a key point of entry for religious pilgrims. He devoted city resources to the remaining Al Balad buildings and prevented some from being torn down, Parry says. The Al-Balad area was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014 as Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Mecca. This pale-blue color is one of the most popular for doors and windows in the old city. Over two nights, Al-Balad’s old buildings were lit up while acts like Busta Rhymes, Xzibit and Lupe Fiasco performed alongside some of the Arab world’s biggest musicians.

☆ 1,000-year-old Mayan 'scoreboard' for ancient soccer-like game discovered in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ancient stone "scoreboard" was discovered at an archeological site in Mexico earlier this week. The stone depicts two figures playing an ancient soccer-like ball game, experts said. The circular relic was discovered at the Mayan Chichen Itza site in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. A worker shows a circular-shaped Mayan scoreboard used for a ball game found at Chichen Itza's archaeological site during a news conference, in Merida, Mexico April 11, 2023. Mesoamerican people played the ball game as a form of traditional practice, and it is thought to have had ritual connotations, per Reuters.

☆ Opinion: How the battle for Bakhmut exposed Russia’s ‘meat-grinder’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It will also be recorded in history as a battle that exposed more than anywhere the meat-grinder approach of Russian fighting. Taking Bakhmut would be the first Russian gain since it captured (and later lost) the key southern Ukrainian city of Kherson in November. That Ukrainian forces have demonstrated such endurance in the battle for Bakhmut should come as little surprise. Like the current battle for Bakhmut, it too became emblematic of Ukraine’s tenaciousness to defend itself against Russia’s aggression – particularly considering the Ukrainian Armed Forces were far less prepared and equipped. “The battle for Bakhmut in winter-spring 2023 will surely enter the history books as the bloodiest battle in Europe since World War II,” said Masliychuk.

☆ At Mexico's Chichen Itza, archaeologists discover Mayan scoreboard
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Mexican archaeologists found a circular-shaped Mayan scoreboard used for a ball game at Chichen Itza's archaeological site, Mexican Anthropology and History Institute (INAH), in this handout picture released on April 10, 2023. INAH/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, April 11 (Reuters) - A stone scoreboard used in an ancient soccer-like ball game has been discovered at the famed Mayan Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, archaeologists said this week. "In this Mayan site, it is rare to find hieroglyphic writing, let alone a complete text," said Francisco Perez, one of the archaeologists coordinating the investigations in the Chichanchob complex, also called Casa Colorada. The ball game was a traditional practice of Mesoamerican peoples and is believed to have had ritual undertones. The Chichen Itza complex, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is one of the main archaeological centers of the Mayan civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula.

☆ Great Wall of China: Six sections with beautiful views
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Whether you’re planning to visit the Great Wall for the first time or the 50th, the following destinations are sure to make your trip to China even more worthwhile. The juxtaposition of its ruins against the rammed-earth Great Wall makes Bataizi a unique place to spend a morning or afternoon. Laoniuwan (aka the Old Ox Bend Great Wall)Laoniuwan, where the Great Wall and the Yellow River meet. Alex SherrAs the locals say, Laoniuwan is where the Great Wall and the mighty Yellow River shake hands. The piled-stone wall at Dushikou is unique, as many other sections of the Great Wall close to Beijing were constructed using kiln-fired bricks.

Persons: CNN —, I’ve, Alex Sherr, ”, Alex Sherr Mutianyu, you’ll, William Lindesay, Pan, Zuoyun, You’ll, Simatai, Yatou’s, Emperor Jiajing, Lamb Organizations: CNN, Tourism, UNESCO, Northern Barbarians Locations: Beijing, China, Turtle, Gansu, Sitan, Jingtai County, City, Jingtai, Lanzhou, Gansu province, Turtle City, Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, it’s, Mutianyu, Jiankou, Xizhazi, Bataizi, Datong, Shanxi province’s, Zuoyun, Zuoyun County, Laoniuwan, Pianguan County, Xinzhou, Shanxi province, Inner Mongolia, marveling, Pianguan, Tangjiazhai, Beijing’s Miyun, Miyun, It’s, Dushikou, Chicheng, Hebei province, Hebei, Liuliqiao

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