Travel News

The best place in the world for travel experiences has been named by TripAdvisor as La Fortuna de San Carlos in Costa Rica. The travel site has revealed the places – countries and specific cities, towns and regions, grouped under ‘destinations’ – that are best for local tours, activities and experiences, based on the combined average destination ratings and reviews for bookable experiences. And the Costa Rican town ranks No1 in the ‘destination’ list. The second-best destination is Kauai, Hawaii, while Tromso in Norway comes third and Rotorua in New Zealand is fourth. Ireland and Scotland, meanwhile, come fourth and fifth respectively in the country list – which Costa Rica tops, too.

The ghosts of Russia’s past haunt the Solovetsky Islands and travellers who journey to the archipelago in Russia’s White Sea will be rewarded with powerful memories, writes Tim Friend. Known locally as Solovki, there are six main islands and around 100 in total, but it’s the largest, Greater Solovetsky, with its famous medieval monastery (main), which draws pilgrims and tourists, from Russia and beyond, and chronicles the islands’ long and often brutal past - for this was the site of the first and cruellest gulag in the Soviet empire.

The U.S-made HoverGlide backpack is being described as a revolutionary product that promises to reduce the impact force of a heavy bag by up to 86 per cent. The wearer carries a solid frame and the backpack is attached to this by bungee cords. These create a 'suspension system' that enables the bag to freely move as the wearer walks. A video from the maker shows how the bag appears to hover during use.

The magazine has come up with 100 destinations around the globe that it believes are breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering visitors an extraordinary experience. The list is as diverse as the world it reflects, with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries. Highlights include Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, top left, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, top right, the Sunder Nursery in New Dehli, bottom left, and the Conrad Maldives resort, bottom right.

Instagrammable factories do exist, as this collection of manufacturing plants, from the USA to Europe, proves. They are all unique and many have been designed by award-winning architects. Pictured clockwise from top left: The Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility in Leeds; Bodegas Ysios Winery in Laguardia, Spain; the Boeing plant in Seattle and the Bang & Olufsen factory in Struer, Denmark.

The huge bird was released from the landmark at the crack of dawn by professional eagle handler Chris O'Donnell. It then soared over the capital and captured breathtaking footage as the city awoke beneath it. The footage begins with Chris and the eagle climbing on board one of the capsules. They are then seen riding to the apex of the attraction. Once at the top a ladder is lowered and they climb onto the roof. Then the eagle takes off and films London as you've never seen it before.

An Irish castle has been named as the best hotel in the world by a prestigious luxury travel award. Adare Manor in Limerick scooped the top prize at the 30th annual Virtuoso Best of the Best awards in Las Vegas, which is voted for by over 18,000 travel-industry professionals in 50 countries. Awards were also handed out for best bar, restaurant, hotel design and more. Pictured is The Restaurant at Meadowood Napa Valley (bottom right), which scooped the restaurant award, and The Donovan Bar at Brown's Hotel in London, which got the gong in the bar category.

It has been created by web developer Matthew Somerville, who came up with the idea after Transport for London (TfL) removed restrictions on commercial use of its travel data. Mr Somerville has used TfL’s live departure board information to calculate the positions of the trains, which show up on his map as tiny yellow dots containing arrows that indicate the direction of travel.

These are the roads that are guaranteed to rev up any holiday. They are stretches of tarmac, from LA to Australia, that lie in jaw-dropping scenery. Scroll down and gear up for planet earth's most thrilling drives. Pictured clockwise from top left to inset: The Trans Canada Highway, Brazil's Serra Do Rio Do Rastro Road, China's Road To Heaven, the LA to Las Vegas road via Death Valley and Queensland's Great Beach Drive.

A new book by author David Ross charts some of the most unusual and desolate lighthouses that have been built around the world and how they have guided countless sailors to safety. The tome also shows how they witness the most extremes of weather, from heavenly sunsets to being encased in ice. Pictured are the Gadeokdo East Breakwater Lighthouse in South Korea, top left, the The Ban Tha Thewawong Lighthouse in Thailand, top right, the Dovercourt Low Ligthouse in Essex, bottom left and the Jeddah Port Control Tower in Saudi Arabia, bottom right.

Lonely Planet has a lot of travel writers - and around 200 of them contributed to the guide's new Epic Hikes of the World book. They were asked to described their favourite hikes and the answers were distilled into a wonderful tome brimming with mesmerising pictures that will have travellers everywhere reaching for their compasses, walking boots and Thermos flasks. The book includes the 14 peaks of Snowdonia (top left) hike, Angels Landing in Utah (top and bottom right), Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (bottom left) and Mt Kinabalu in Borneo (inset). Lonely Planet has kindly allowed MailOnline Travel to reveal a sneak peek of the book's jaw-dropping contents, so scroll down and allow wanderlust to envelope you.

Pintxos (tapas) in San Sebastian, curry laksa (spicy noodle soup) in Kuala Lumpur and sushi in Tokyo have been named as the top-three global food experiences by a team of travel experts. Culinary pros from Lonely Planet went about ranking 500 of the most delicious spots to eat for a new tome titled the Ultimate Eatlist, with the taste, ambiance and atmosphere taken into account. Dining on beef brisket in Texas has been revealed as the top tasting treat in the U.S. (fourth place globally), while fish and chips sails to first place in the UK (31st place globally) and Tasmanian oysters are the catch of the day in Australia (13th place globally).

The holiday home, which is described as a 'spectacular piece of rock and roll history', was located on Circle G Ranch, a short distance from Elvis' Graceland estate in Memphis. The mobile home was manufactured by Delta and measures 60' long and 12' wide. It was recently restored and is in the condition in which Elvis and his wife Priscilla left it.

Canada's Wonderland in Ontario announced that the white-knuckle ride named Yukon Striker, will open next year and will take riders on an exhilarating journey along its 3,625 feet of track. The coaster features a ‘hold and dive’ element where riders will feel as though they are hanging on the edge of their seats, on one of three wide, floorless trains, awaiting the 90-degree, 245-foot drop. Once released, the coaster dives from zero to 130 kilometres per hour straight down into an underwater tunnel.

The property, called Villa Griante stands on the shore of the Italian lake across the water from the famous town of Bellagio and can sleep up to 14 people across seven grand bedrooms. It has been described as being exquisitely decorated with a blend of traditional features from the Bella Epoque period along with contemporary touches and comes with its own speed boat, spa and fully stocked wine cellar.

The sellers tout for business on beaches in resorts such as Barcelona and Benidorm selling drinks such as pina coladas and mojitos made in disgusting conditions for around £5. And now holidaymakers are being urged to only buy drinks from nearby bars so they don't run the risk of becoming ill.

These stunning bookstores boast some intriguing stories of their own. MailOnline Travel has scoured the world for the most beautiful book shops around, with sublime interiors distracting readers from the task of picking a tome. Pictured from top left, clockwise to centre: Waterstone's Bradford Wool Exchange, Cafebreria El Pendulo in Mexico City, El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires, Shakespeare and Company in Paris and Livraria Lello in Portugal, where J K Rowling used to drink coffee.

From quirky retreats to sprawling palaces and even home made entirely from glass, Airbnb has a vast array of listing from around the globe. And to mark its 10th anniversary, Airbnb has revealed the properties that have been 'wish-listed' the most on its site over the past 10 years. Pictured are an Italian villa, top left, a Morrocan Palace, top right, an eco home in Bali, bottom left and an off the grid home in California, bottom right.

The cottage in Salcombe in Devon still has the original kitchen that the Bake Off judge would have used when she stayed there and also comes with four bedrooms, with magnificent sea views. Much of the house's original character is intact, with period features including a marble fireplace, original door handles, picture rails and high ceilings. The cottage sleeps up to eight people and can be rented for £926 per week, which works out at £17 per person per night.

Considered one of the world's last great wildernesses, the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is home to a wealth of wildlife and breathtaking landscapes as these stunning images show. Award-winning photographer Renato Granieri spends seasons sailing around the ice-cold area on an expedition boat for adventure travel company G Adventures. The 49-year-old, who is originally from the warmer reaches of Sardinia, told MailOnline Travel that he first visiting Svalbard in 2012 and instantly fell in love with the place.

Burning Man is hailed as being one of the most extraordinary human gatherings in the world, with a wacky mix of art, dance and theatre attracting attendees from far and wide. And showcasing the annual extravaganza in all its glory, is a new book titled Dust to Dawn by British photographer Philip Volkers . The tome features a breathtaking collection of images which Volkers took over the course of a decade as the event's official cameraman.

A stirring portrait of a man smoking and a macro shot of a beetle on a flower, are among the photos vying to win in the world's first Instagram photography contest. Organised by Photobox, Europe's largest photographic community, the Photobox Instagram Photography Awards (PIPAs) has amassed more than 100,000 individual entries since being launched two weeks ago. Celebrating the best Instagram photography posted on the world's favourite photo-sharing platform, the PIPAs has uncovered a treasure trove of imagery from some of the best undiscovered talent with plenty more yet to come.

We've got some holiday let news you may want to tune into - a stunning radio tower on Jersey is available to rent, from just £32 per person. Set on a clifftop on Jersey's south-west tip, the cylindrical building was built during WWII by occupying Nazis forces. It was designed to look like one of the typical 18th century granite towers found in the area. After an extensive renovation, the six-storey property now features three double bedrooms with en suite shower rooms, a kitchen and a lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Russian mountaineers spotted by MailOnline Travel proudly glugging a giant bottle of Champagne on a climb of Mont Blanc have been unmasked. The Muscovite group were noticed by our travel writer Sadie Whitelocks during her ascent of western Europe's highest peak and highlighted in her gripping account . She saw 'a Russian man in the Gouter refuge celebrating his 40th birthday with a jeroboam of Cristal champagne - costing upwards of £2,000 - being tossed around'. After the MailOnline story, the birthday boy came forward and identified himself as Dmitry Volkov (pictured left and with friends on the summit, right), a Moscow-based businessman.

MailOnline Travel's Kim Gold put on her dancing shoes and checked into the legendary Pikes Ibiza - and quickly found herself belting out Cyndi Lauper hits in a hot tub full of plastic balls. She writes: 'My weekend at the legendary Pikes Ibiza hotel on the White Isle last summer was the stuff dreams are made of - but it was just an every-week occurrence to the team there. Even if you've never heard of Pikes, you've seen it. The ramshackle old finca founded by legendary party boy Tony Pike in the hills behind San Antonio has played host to every star imaginable.' Pictured: Fatboy Slim and Idris Elba at the hotel (top left and inset), the hotel pool and bar area (top right), the stunning view (bottom left) and one of the uber-hip rooms (bottom right).

The beauty, mystery and majesty of the deep blue sea has been captured in breath-taking fashion by the winners of an underwater photography competition. Scuba Diving Magazine's annual Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest this year attracted 2,100 entries from all corners of the world. And here we present the 13 snaps that wowed the judges the most. They include a conceptual portrait of an octopus, a colourful underwater cave in Mexico (top left), a mystical snap of a whale in Tonga that appears to be floating above the water (bottom left) and a tank sunk to create a dive site (bottom right).

It's called the Nevis Catapult and gives thrill seekers the experience of 3G of force as they are propelled over the remote Nevis Valley near Queenstown, New Zealand, before suddenly dropping towards the valley floor and experiencing a series of jaw-dropping bounces. It is housed in a pod between a series of cables, alongside the infamous Nevis Swing and is described as being a unique combination of height, flight and speed. It uses a bespoke high-speed winch system developed over years of research.

Nestled in a wooded valley, guests at the stunning holiday let can get back to nature without having to rough it as the idyllic retreat has a king-size bed, roll-top bath, waterfall shower and Egyptian cotton linens. The treehouse was built by Kieran and Helen Fisher, both aged 31, who spent five years hunting for the perfect place to create a quirky holiday let after struggling to find the kind of boltholes they wanted to stay at in Devon. Bookings are flying in as far ahead as October 2019.