20 Bucket List Destinations, Mandarin Oriental’s First Greek Hotel And More Travel News

A Sneak Peek at Mandarin Oriental’s First Greek Resort

Costa Navarino, a luxury resort destination in Greece’s Messinia region, may not have the cultural cachet of Mykonos or Santorini, but that could soon change with the opening on Mandarin Oriental’s first Greek property. Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino features 99 suites and villas with views of the Ionian Sea. The hotel also features five restaurants, a spa and an 82-foot swimming pool. Should you actually want to leave the property, it’s a short drive to the 18-hole Bay Course, which also has views of the coast.

United Upgrades Polaris Business Class for Sleep

Passengers aren’t the only ones who appreciate an upgrade—the airlines do as well. United recently added new amenities to its Polaris business class, the largest overhaul since 2016. Among the new offerings are new bedding and pillows (including a cool gel pillow) from Saks Fifth Avenue and an amenity kit featuring Therabody products (including an eye serum and face spray) to have you looking and feeling fresh when you land.

20 Bucket List Travel Destinations

Among the many lessons travelers learned during the pandemic is not to wait to cross destinations off a bucket list. In case you need some help making such a list, Kuoni, a British-based travel company, recently commissioned a study to rank the top 20 bucket list destinations. Among the experiences travelers dream of most is visiting the Maldives, trekking through the Himalayas and admiring the views in Yosemite National Park.

Travel Wise

Anyone who is planning a trip to Paris soon would be wise to learn these three words: punaises de lit. After all, it sounds a lot better than what it translates to in English—bedbugs. The bedbug epidemic has moved beyond Paris’ hotels and apartment rentals, they are now crawling around movie theaters and public transportation. Here’s what you need to know (and do) about Paris’ bedbug crisis.

Why Now Is a Good Time To Renew Your Passport

Here’s some good news for American travelers—the processing time for a U.S. Passport has decreased two weeks since summer. It now takes an estimated eight to 11 weeks for routine processing and five to seven weeks for an expedited passport. Keep in mind that the processing estimates do not factor in the two-week “mailing time” it takes to send in an application and have it returned. So stop reading this and start applying now for a passport.