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In this week’s travel news roundup, we explain why social bathhouses are the new wellness trend, how Chinese tourists travel thousands of miles to visit chicken shops in Portugal, and how travel in the Middle East is being disrupted.
Scandinavian sauna purists, look away. Social bathhouses are taking North America by storm, but they’re a little different from how they’re done in Europe.
What we’re talking about is a wellness experience that happens with DJs, dancing, and the sounds of “hoo-hoo.”
Montreal, Toronto, and New York are the main players at the moment, with new spots planned for Dallas, Washington DC, and Philadelphia. Here’s why it’s a good time to pick up your towel.
Meanwhile, floating ice is on the rise in Russia. Participants wear warm clothing and spend 20 to 40 minutes in ice water. The waterproof and buoyant costume can maintain body temperature for six hours in temperatures as low as -20C (-4C), according to the manufacturer. Look here.
Finally, it’s been a strange ski season in the U.S., with many Canadian tourists staying home. Abundant powder snow has eased the problem in some areas on the East Coast, but the situation is different in the West, where resorts have suffered the “worst early-season snowfall in more than 30 years.”
Airspace closures and flight cancellations
Thousands of international flights have been canceled this week, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded as conflict escalates in the Middle East.
Airspace closures have disrupted major flight routes, leaving holes in aviation maps and forcing airlines to reroute planes to longer, fuel-consuming routes.
Currently, repatriation flights are bringing back travelers from the Middle East, including stranded cruise ship passengers.
Thousands of passengers and crew members were caught on board the ship, which was anchored in ports in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. We report on the inside of the MSC Eulivia in Dubai.
The conflict has also had an immediate impact on tourist destinations. The UAE’s reputation as a safe haven for luxury travelers has been badly damaged by Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the country.
While Dubai’s prominent influencers are collectively putting up a brave face on social media, it remains to be seen whether an exodus of foreigners is imminent.
Here’s what travelers need to know about the situation so far.
Small but in demand
Behind an unmarked door on a side street in Lisbon, a tiny hidden chicken shop attracts Chinese tourists who travel thousands of miles every day.
Owner Antonio Silva, 66, has been running the no-frills charcoal shop for 40 years, but his newfound fame began after he was praised online by Chinese influencers.
“It’s word of mouth from millions of people,” he says, unfazed by the crowds. “Fresh chicken. Fresh chicken every day” and is particular about using a secret seasoning.
Chicken, beef and pork are staples of the traditional British Sunday roast, but if you’re hoping to enjoy the award-winning food at Bank Tavern in Bristol, southwest England, you won’t be able to until 2027.
It took just 11 minutes to book a year’s worth of tickets, making it a hotter ticket than the nearby Glastonbury Festival. Here’s why this little pub is so popular.
20th anniversary of “Eat, Pray, Love”: How Elizabeth Gilbert’s life changed
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling travel memoir Eat, Pray, Love, set in Italy, India, and Indonesia. This sparked a solo travel movement whose mixed effects are still being felt 20 years later.
Is this the beginning of civilization?
These ancient ruins in Türkiye reveal about humanity’s first villages.
An American town tries to recover its “lost” planet.
Why do hundreds of people flock to Arizona every year to celebrate Pluto?
Expanding war. lunar eclipse. medical discovery.
What do you remember about that week?
He is 77 years old and a heart attack survivor.
He is now trying to travel around the world on his motorcycle.
