Echo Brocato

Stories

"Higham Island"

Top “Coolcation” Travel Destinations

River or Ocean Cruises

Record-breaking summer heatwaves throughout Europe have more travelers looking for cooler destinations to spend the holidays. I have some favorites. By: Lynn Elmhirst, travel journalist and expert Some like it hot!  And...

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Spain’s Summer Spectacles

Adventure

For most travelers, summer in Spain means lazy days on Mediterranean beaches, late-night tapas and sangria in sunny plazas. Summer is also Spain’s festival season – with two events famous...

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When Volcanoes Wake Up: Travel to the World’s Great ‘Fire Mountains’

Adventure

Mount Etna's July 2026 eruption sent lava and ash plumes into the Sicilian sky, creating spectacular images—and temporary travel disruptions. Volcanic ash interrupted flights at the local Catania Airport. Luckily,...

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3 Sandals Resorts Get $200 Million Glow Up in ‘Great Jamaica Comeback’

A trio of storied resorts on the island where Sandals was born is being reborn as part of Jamaica's comeback. A new name, new dream-inspiring accommodations, new dining venues, new...

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Christmas in July Question: Which Christmas Market River Cruise to Choose?

River or Ocean Cruises

It’s never too early to start counting down the days until Christmas – or plan a holiday getaway. Christmas in July reminders are a great opportunity to think about how...

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New European Hotels in Landmark Historic Sites to Inspire your Next Trip

Hotels

London. Venice. Lisbon. Each powerhouse travel destination already has its share of iconic hotels. But new properties opening in 2026 give visitors the unique ability to live inside the history...

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Discovering the Japan You Didn’t Expect Beyond the Main Island

Adventure

For many travelers, the increasingly popular destination of Japan begins and ends on the island of Honshu – literally, it’s ‘Main Island.’ I can’t blame them – so much of...

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Gaudí at 100: Barcelona's Most Famous Architect "Raising the Roof" of the City

Culture & History

One hundred years after his death, Antoni Gaudí remains impossible to separate from Barcelona. The Catalan architect died on June 10, 1926, one of the most defining architects of any era,...

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The Cruise Line Breeding “Super Coral” and Other Good News for World Oceans Day

River or Ocean Cruises

The private island for Explora Journeys and MSC Cruises, MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, is at the forefront of a cruise-industry-wide drive to support and sustain the world’s oceans. World...

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Holland America Launching Year-Round Cruises in Europe

River or Ocean Cruises

The seasons for cruise and travel are changing – even disappearing altogether! Holland America Line has become the latest cruise line to expand to year-round sailing in Europe, joining the...

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Keeping Time: Why a Timepiece is Still the Best Souvenir of Switzerland

Shopping

For more than 400 years, Switzerland has been the world’s watchmaking and time-keeping capital. And unlike many luxury industries in other countries that outsourced production decades ago, the most respected...

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Do You Know Your Mediterranean A, B… Seas?

River or Ocean Cruises

When is the Med… not just the Med? The Mediterranean Sea and its iconic coastal towns, yacht harbors, fishing villages, beaches, cliffs, and cultural touchpoints are on nearly everyone’s list...

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When Your Overwater Bungalow Sails with You in Tahiti: Paul Gauguin Cruises' Room Tour

River or Ocean Cruises

It’s a tropical vacation fantasy: staying in an overwater bungalow over breathtaking, warm, turquoise waters in the legendary and romantic South Pacific. But what if your overwater bungalow floats with...

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Why Travelers are Following the Trail of South Africa’s Oldest Vineyards

Dining

For wine travelers, South Africa’s Old Vine Project has transformed a tasting trip through the Cape winelands into a journey through living wine history. Across the Western Cape, the tell-tale shapes...

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Top Souvenirs from a Springtime Trip to the Netherlands

River or Ocean Cruises

Tulip season in the Netherlands is a feast for the senses: ribbons of technicolor flowers beside canals, market squares bursting with spring blooms, and river cruise ships gliding through landscapes...

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UNESCO and Relais & Châteaux to Boost Biodiversity through Cuisine

Culture & History

The UN agency championing the world’s cultural and scientific treasures, and the prestigious association of hundreds of independent, unique hotels and restaurants throughout the world, have joined forces to support global...

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France’s Christmas Miracle: Spectacular Reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris After Fire

Culture & History

Restored to its former glory and beyond, Notre Dame de Paris has risen from the ashes of a 2019 fire that many feared meant the end of an era for...

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VIDEO: Baking Festive Sweets Aboard a Viking Christmas Market River Cruise – with Recipe!

Culture & History

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like a Christmas market cruise on the Rhine from Switzerland, through France, and Germany, to the Netherlands, in the cradle of so many...

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Belmond Launches First Luxury Sleeper Train in England and Wales

Luxury

The Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train, is a new way to indulge in slow travel in the lap of luxury. Debuting in the summer of 2025, it’s the first modern...

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Breaking Travel News: Mexico Walks Back Charging Tourists Hefty Duties for Multiple Electronic Devices

Before your trip Mexico

That was fast. Just a month after a wave of media stories about arriving travelers being dinged with hundreds of dollars in duties for their devices, Mexican authorities say they...

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In a World First for Any Vessel, Ponant Cruise Ship Reaches “North Pole of Inaccessibility”

River or Ocean Cruises

There’s the North Pole… and there’s the “North Pole of Inaccessibility.” Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot has done something no ship of any kind has ever done before. In the 21st...

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VIDEO: Emerald Captain Shares Why a Mega-Yacht is the Best Way to Cruise the Caribbean

River or Ocean Cruises Caribbean

If you thought sailing to small islands and boutique harbors in idyllic tropical places was just for billionaires in their private yachts, think again. Even you can feel like a...

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New Small-Ship Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line Launches 2nd Ship; Explora III and IV On the Way

River or Ocean Cruises

During a spectacular naming ceremony in Civitavecchia – the port for Rome, Italy – Explora Journeys launched Explora II. The September, 2024 event marked the debut of the second of...

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VIDEO TOUR: Panorama Suite on Scenic Eclipse During an Antarctic Expedition Cruise

River or Ocean Cruises Antarctica

One of the most remarkable things about sailing aboard the Scenic Eclipse in the Antarctic is the contrast between the wild remoteness just outside… and feeling like you’re a guest...

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