Michael Battalini wins coveted 2023 FIVE STAR Investment Professional Award

Marking a new era for Solomon Islands on the international tourism stage, Tourism Solomons is poised to launch a global brand refresh drawing on the destination’s authenticity, adventure, culture and conservation through a distinctive new identity: Hapi Isles – Real, Rare, Raw. Announcing the initiative, which references a nickname bestowed upon the destination in the 1960s, Tourism Solomons CEO, Andrew Nihopara said the underlying ethos of the new campaign was to build a clear understanding of what makes Solomon Islands distinct from anywhere else on the planet.

Tipai by Wildlife Luxuries has introduced guided night walks at its 15-key boutique retreat near Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Led by naturalists, the experience allows guests to observe nocturnal species, including scorpions under ultraviolet light, listen for Indian nightjars and identify signs of owl activity, adding an after-dark dimension to wildlife tourism.

For her Bamboo collection released in February 2026, Hong Kong fashion designer Leah Shiu dived into the symbolism of Chinese knots such as pankou, or frog knots. “There are, like, 100 different kinds of knots, and each has its own significance,” says the 28-year-old. “I try and make sure that my customers understand the meaning of a Chinese knot – the fact that it’s like an infinity sign and represents longevity. “I want to educate the consumer on Chinese aesthetics, philosophies and...

"Can you get brunch Saturday, or will you be out of the country?" —your friend texting you View Entire Post ›

Travel just gets easier and breezier with this portable folding stool and Skims-like base layer you can get for under $10 each. View Entire Post ›

Water is the one part of a shower nobody thought to question. You research the shampoo, read the ingredient list on the back of the shower gel, and then you rinse all of it off with whatever comes out of the tap. Except that the water is doing something too – even if just what hasn’t been given a name. There’s a good chance you experienced the effects of hard water before you ever heard the term. You know it as the chalky ring that reappears on your shower screen days after you scrubbed it off,...

"'Growing old together.' It's hard to deteriorate physically while watching your best friend suffer the same fate." View Entire Post ›

When her left shoulder began to ache shortly before she turned 50, my sister Carol Wilson ignored the pain and put it down to a poor-quality mattress. She hoped the situation would resolve when she moved house in the UK – and got a new bed. The pain continued. “I kept hoping it would get better,” she says. “But it didn’t.” Her doctor diagnosed a frozen shoulder and alluded to it being something that occurred in “women of a certain age”. He prescribed physiotherapy, which didn’t help her much,...

As the 2026 US midterm elections draw near, Minnesota Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar has found herself embroiled in renewed controversy over her immigration history and past marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Elmi has long been alleged to be her brother, although the Somali-born legislator has denied such claims, which remain unproven. However, in 2016, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security found some evidence suggesting the marriage may have been fraudulent, The New York Times...

When the travel agency China Highlights organises bus trips for foreign tourists to iconic sights across China, the company says one last-minute request keeps cropping up again and again. “Can we visit a farm?” The question has become so common that guides now organise farm tours lasting a day or two for groups as they drive back from scenic spots such as Huangshan and Zhangjiajie, according to company CEO Steven Zhao. The tourists often wanted to meet the farmers, have lunch in their...

Sometimes, through no fault of their own, good films slip through the cracks. They fall out of fashion, are misunderstood by critics or are poorly distributed, and it can take the passage of time – or a miracle – to bring them back into the light. So it is with Nancy Kelly’s 1991 period piece Thousand Pieces of Gold, adapted from Ruthanne Lum McCunn’s 1981 novel and starring Rosalind Chao from The Joy Luck Club. The film is a sincere, authentic-feeling drama based on the incredible true story of...

The Anguilla Tourist Board sponsored the opening general session at Virtuoso On Tour Latin America for the first time, presenting the island’s luxury travel experiences to more than 300 travel professionals. The presentation, delivered during the Oct. 27-29 event, supported the tourist board’s push to diversify Anguilla’s source markets and elevate its visibility among luxury travel advisors in Latin America.