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If she can avoid it, Saphia never travels by airplane. Saphia researches the climate crisis for a living – so that’s partly why, although not entirely. She also just hates flying, period. “My job sort of demands I have an ethical stance on flying,” Saphia tells CNN Travel. “But I never enjoyed it.” So when the 26-year-old Londoner decided to head to Valencia, Spain, in March 2012 to attend a music festival with a friend, she immediately mapped out the trip by rail. Click the link in our bio to learn how it turned into a journey of love. 📸: Photo Illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN/Saphia and Sylvain/Getty Images
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After losing the No. 1 spot to Bangkok in 2023, Tokyo has reclaimed its crown as the city with the top eatery in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards list. Tap the link in our bio to see the full top 50. 📷 Courtesy The World's 50 Best
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Oxygen? Check. Crampons? Check. Poop bags?… Check. Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to make some slight adjustments to their packing list, as new rules now mandate that climbers bring their excrement down with them from the world’s highest peak, in a bid to tackle pollution. Most people who attempt to climb the 29,032-foot Mount Everest do so via Nepal, paying $11,000 apiece just for the climbing permit. But the world’s highest peak has a poop problem, driven by the number of visitors, and the harsh conditions on the mountain, which interfere with the degradation process. “The problem of human waste on Everest was very bad,” Diwas Pokhrel, first vice president of Everest Summiteers Association, told CNN, adding that at the mountain’s highest points, it was “polluting the mountain environment.” Click the link in bio for more. 📸: Pemba Dorje Sherpa/AFP/Getty Images
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Rome might not have built ancient history’s biggest empire – a shout out to Genghis for that one – but it was undoubtedly the most enduring and influential. That’s because Roman passions for outrageous, oversized architecture went hand in hand with detailed record-keeping and relentless imperial PR. As a result not only have a huge number of landmark sites survived to this day, but we also know a lot about them. Read more at the link in CNN’s bio. 📸: frederic prochasson/iStockphoto/Getty Images; Angel Lara Diaz/iStockphoto/Getty Images; Mahmud Turkia/AFP/Getty Images; Guido Cozzi/Atlantide Phototravel/Corbis Documentary RF/Getty Images; makasana/iStock Editorial/Getty Images
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A short walk from Sensoji, the oldest temple in Tokyo, sits another aging classic – Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku. Founded in 1954, it's believed to be the city's oldest onigiri (Japanese rice ball) restaurant. "The reason why my family started this business is simple," says Yosuke Miura, third-generation owner of the rice ball diner. "My grandfather didn't work and my grandmother had trouble living a financially stable life." Needing to support her unemployed husband and family, Miura's grandmother founded the rice ball eatery – an origin story that's reflected in the restaurant's moniker. Long a popular snack choice for travelers, onigiri – also known as omusubi – can be found in convenience stores around Japan. Usually triangular or oval, they come stuffed with anything from spicy cod roe and pickled greens to grilled slices of beef with mayonnaise. "I think that rice balls are the most typical food that everyone eats, from children to the elderly in Japan," says Miura. "There is probably no one in Japan who hasn't eaten one." Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: CNN
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Just off the D515 state highway to Kuşadası, a meandering asphalted road cuts through the pine trees and undulating olive groves of the Mediterranean landscape to reach the village of Caferli. Few people would think to come this way, but it's exactly here that you'll find one of Turkey's most groundbreaking destination restaurants, where the menu - connected to the natural environment - is unlike any typically found in a country known for its delicious food. Çiy restaurant, created by chef Damla Uğurtaş, overlooks an evergreen valley and Aegean Sea from its outdoor terrace, where tables rest in the shade of a large olive tree. All the interior design has been specially chosen down to the smallest details, from vintage furnishings and traditional carpets in every room to the small lace doilies that rest on the water glasses. The restaurant itself is an anomaly for this unknown village. It's a fine-dining endeavor with a tasting menu that is both shaped by the imagination of its chef as well as the ingredients of the region. Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: Courtesy Çiy Restaurant & Konukevi
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Italy’s one euro home sales have been attracting a lot of interest over the past few years, with dozens opting to snap up abandoned properties in some of the country’s depopulated towns. But while towns like Mussomeli in Sicily and Zungoli in Campania have managed to offload various abandoned dwellings to foreigners longing to live the Italian dream, some have struggled to sell their empty homes. Among them is Patrica, a remote medieval village of barely 3,000 residents located south of Rome, where more than 40 properties deserted in the early 1900s have been left to rot. In an attempt to breathe new life into the dying village, the town’s mayor has been trying to emulate the success of other Italian villages who’ve put their empty homes up for sale for one euro, or just over a dollar. He’s so far had little success. Tap the link in @cnn bio to read more. 📸 : Comune di Patrica
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Thanda Island, a speck of sand off the Tanzanian coast, has room for only a handful of guests, but space enough for many thousands of inhabitants. A luxury estate which must be rented in its entirety, where prices start at $33,000 per night, you'll have to share this tropical hideaway with some of Mother Nature's most majestic creatures, including the largest fish in the sea, the whale shark. "They wanted to create the ultimate escape," says general manager Antigone Meda, who explains that multigenerational families and groups of friends are the island's typical guests, with most staying for five to eight nights. Thanda strives to be as self-sufficient as possible, she adds, with a seawater desalination plant on site, rainwater harvesting, and powered by the largest off-grid solar farm in Tanzania, she claims. Organic waste is turned into compost. But the hotel's sustainability credentials are only part of the allure for the environmentally conscious traveller. The island sits within Mafia Island Marine Park, and more specifically, Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, which guests have exclusive use of during their stay. Tap the link in bio for more. 📸 : Courtesy Thanda Island
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When planning a trip to India, the “Golden Triangle,” comprising Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, often comes to mind as a must-see region. And these historic destinations do indeed provide a classic introduction to the country. However, India boasts an array of natural wonders that provide ample opportunities for the more active traveler to get out and explore. If it’s inspiration you’re after, here’s a rundown of some of the most epic hikes in India, ranging from quick, casual hikes to multi-day excursions. Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: Vinu Sebastian/Alamy Stock Photo | Amit R/Moment Open/Getty Images | Vivek_Renukaprasad/iStock Editorial/Getty Images | Andrea Robinson/Photodisc/Getty Images | Christopher Loh/Moment Unreleased RF/Getty Images | Kajin/iStockphoto/Getty Images
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After a fire ravaged Notre Dame in 2019, many thought a complete restoration would take decades. Five years later, the historic renovation is nearly 90% complete. CNN’s Richard Quest takes us inside the famous Paris cathedral which is scheduled to reopen in December.
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When Mohamad Orfali was a child, his favorite meal was breakfast. At his family home in Aleppo, Syria, his grandfather would prepare "Treet Bel Laban" — an omelet with meatballs, served on top of garlic yogurt, and eaten with warm bread. "I have so many memories of food," says Orfali, "but I think this is the best of the best." Food and family have always been a package deal for Orfali — now more than ever, as he runs a restaurant with his two younger brothers, the eponymous Orfali Bros Bistro in Dubai. Opened in 2021, their menu is a love letter to their Syrian roots and the culinary traditions the brothers grew up with, fused with contemporary Arabic and Mediterranean flavors. A former TV chef, Mohamad is the chef de cuisine and charismatic host, while his brothers, Wassim and Omar, both pastry chefs, are behind the restaurant's distinctive desserts. "We speak food. We love food, and we love people who love food," says Orfali. Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: Orfali Bros Bistro
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A Texas man was arrested after boarding a Delta Air Lines flight without a ticket by using a photo he took of another passenger’s boarding pass while they were not looking, according to court documents. Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, is facing one count of stowing away on a vessel or aircraft, according to a complaint filed in U.S. district court in Utah. Before the flight was boarded at Salt Lake City International Airport, security footage shows Fleurizard snapping photos of multiple passengers’ phones and boarding passes while they weren’t looking and then using his own phone to board the flight to Austin, Texas, the complaint alleges. He was caught when a flight attendant noticed there were no available seats and approached Fleurizard to assist him, according to the complaint. Tap the link in @cnn bio for more. 📸 : Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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