The Vacation Guy Blogs

St. Patrick and the Emerald Isle. Dramatic coastline. Historic towns and cobblestone streets. Pubs and parties. Folklore and green pastures… and castles. Hundreds of castles and manor houses dot the Irish countryside. They not only evoke Ireland's storied past. Many allow you to live out your inner fantasy world of warrior kings and legendary princesses during overnight stays. Look for a tour of...

Just as water is served automatically at a restaurant table in the West, green tea appears magically on every restaurant table in Japan. But what about a more… spirited beverage? Japan’s consumption of alcohol is legendary, and involves its own beverages and etiquette.Here’s what you need to know before you order.By: Lynn Elmhirst, Sipper-in-Chief, BestTrip TVJapan has embraced both beer and...

The whole cruise travel world is watching as flamboyant entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson launches 'rebellious luxe' Virgin Voyages.BestTrip was there as the famous British lifestyles magnate shared his vision for shaking up the cruise industry and doing things differently… and his announcement of the latest 'first' for Virgin Voyages… and cruising.One thing's for sure: this isn't your grandma's cruise. But just...

Visitors to wine country have another way to taste the fruit of those vines in a most unexpected way, at Dillon's. Here's BestTrip.TV's Lynn Elmhirst's original story about this unusual distillery - don't miss the update at the bottom that explains how this distiller is giving back to the community during COVID-19.Local small-batch distiller Dillon’s Unfiltered Gin 22 is a...

If you’re one of the almost 20% of Americans and Canadians with Irish ancestry – or have fallen in love with the lore of the ‘Emerald Isle’ – a trip to Ireland is the perfect way to immerse yourself in its vivid scenery, storied towns and landscapes… and of course, stock up on the souvenirs that symbolize the country’s history,...

France has the Eiffel Tower. The U.S. has the Statue of Liberty. But the visual shorthand for Japan is not man-made. It’s Mount Fuji.The Japanese archipelago is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Chains of volcanic mountain ranges form the spine of the Japanese islands, and mountains have assumed immense cultural and spiritual significance over the millennia.Nearly every population center is associated...

A new river cruise ship has embarked on the Danube, and it's unlike anything else on the rivers of Europe. The word 'revolutionized' gets overused, but AmaWaterways' AmaMagna has overturned how we have come to think of river cruising.It's all about size. If you've ever taken a European river cruise, you've seen your own cruise ship, plus ships from other companies...

From breathtaking beaches, up through rainforests and cloud forests, Costa Rica’s terrain rises from the sea to mountain ranges and, like icing on a scenic cake, a string of volcanoes that are evidence of the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.There are over 200 identifiable volcanoes in Costa Rica that date back more than 65 million years. Half...

We love airports, don’t you? After a year without travel,  we can’t wait to see the bustle, feel that unique buzz of people excited to be off on a new adventure in a new place… Of all the sights and sounds of a busy airport, the one that’s guaranteed to make you smile is the earnest, adorable faces of hard-at-work...

Are you missing travel?  Evidence tells us that travel benefits us more than getting a fresh tan, new social media posts of us having fun in some exotic location, or even new stories to entertain our friends and family. When we had the privilege of unrestricted travel, we took for granted all the benefits it brought, including real benefits to...