Walnut Grove Cruise & Ltd Travel Blog

The newest data reveals exactly what activities you do when you travel have the biggest and best impact on your mental wellbeing. Let’s talk first about the importance of booking that escape – no matter what you plan on doing. You know you need to get away. But if you haven’t traveled on holiday in a while, take note: new research reinforces studies... read more

“Water, water, everywhere, but not any drop to drink.” Being surrounded by seawater takes on new meaning in the British Caribbean island of Anguilla, where locals are rediscovering the luxury destination’s ‘salty’ history. Anguilla’s only 16 miles long and 3 miles at its widest; a slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, ringed with 33 beaches. A gem of the... read more

With so many celebrations put on ‘hold’ over the last couple of years, we knew when people started getting together to mark life’s great milestones again, it was going to be big.How big?Well, according to a new survey conducted by an online travel company, destination weddings and honeymoons are going ‘mega.’The survey of American couples found that a whopping 97% - nearly... read more

Global Wellness Day this year is June 11th, just as we are getting back into travel. Wellness travel has been a growing trend for several years, and the pandemic has given a whole new perspective to what we think about wellness, self-care, and good living.Travel plays a big part in a balanced lifestyle. As the Wellness Tourism Association explains, small... read more

A recent survey of the most popular hashtags in travel photo posts in social media wasn’t a scientific study. But it did generate a clear winner of the title “World’s Most Photogenic Beach.” That honor went to the seven miles of shorelines and sparkling waters of South Florida’s legendary Miami Beach. If it’s been a while since you indulged in the... read more

 Kenya may already be on your travel bucket list for a once-in-a-lifetime epic wildlife safari through its sweeping African landscapes. But visitors can now easily connect to its culture and lifestyle in more ways, thanks to a new program by Kenya’s tourism board. The Magical Kenya Signature Experiences Collection is a growing selection of authentic and unique activities, accommodations, and... read more

Is your New Year’s resolution to get more rest – and travel more? The good news is that there are travel experiences that let you do both. Lynn Elmhirst, Producer and Host of BestTrip TV, runs down a few of her favorites.  Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland – Sleep RetreatThe breathtaking Fogo Island Inn, perched on stilts like the fishing huts on... read more

For many of us, September feels more like the ‘New Year’ than when the calendar says it’s January. Time to exhale, regroup, and reset yourself on a fulfilling course for the future, one that includes meeting life and wellness goals.Maybe that’s why September is National Yoga Month.The ideal time to practice – or at least plan for - two intersecting life... read more

In 2021, UNESCO created a new, transnational World Heritage site: 11 towns in 7 European countries that collectively make up The Great Spa Towns of Europe. All of the towns developed around natural mineral water springs, many of which were used therapeutically from Europe’s earliest history. Together, the Great Spa Towns of Europe represent the international European spa culture that grew... read more

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... read more

This January, two powerful forces for wellness travel converge: yearly New Year's resolutions to become or rediscover our best selves, and this year, the pandemic that's both kept us from traveling, and for many, fostered a lifestyle that may not have kept us at our peak.In the travel era BC (Before COVID), wellness travel was already one of the most... read more

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... read more

One of the best things about river cruising in Europe is that it takes you into the heart of world-famous cities, charming smaller towns, and even through the countryside that you might not see any other way.  One of the best things about Avalon Waterways' Active shore excursions is that they give you yet another way to explore Europe's best scenery... read more

Run and train like a warrior with the Maasai or hike to a vantage point high above Machu Picchu. Feed your spirit with inspiration at a home for underprivileged girls in India, or a silent alms ceremony in Luang Prabang, and feed your body with healing, Ayurvedic herbs in India, or fresh local produce at a cooking demonstration on Krabey... read more

Have you resolved to travel more AND be more fit and well? Why not put these life goals together on your next cruise? Cruise lines have upped their health, wellness, and fitness games in recent years. In fact, some of the best wellness experiences in the world are now at sea.BestTrip's Lynn Elmhirst has put together her list of wellness/fitness opportunities on river,... read more

A primeval landscape of black lava rocks covered in moss. Pools of chalky, ice-blue healing waters heated by the earth's core. Iceland's Blue Lagoon is mystical and almost surreal to see even in person. It's even been called one of the Wonders of the World. Now, there's a spa hotel where you can sleep overtop of one of the earth's most remote and... read more

Laos may be one of the last, best-kept secrets in South-East Asia. Now, travelers looking for an immersive vacation in the unspoiled environment, unique culture and French-Laotian heritage of Laos have the perfect ultra-luxury destination: the tented villas of the new concept Rosewood Luang Prabang.It's Rosewood's second resort in Southeast Asia – and its very first world-wide to feature tented... read more

You may be familiar with treating yourself to a massage, reflexology, or other spa wellness treatments while you're on holiday.  But an Amethyst Crystal Sound Bath?  That's a level of holistic therapy you rarely encounter at any spa, especially at sea.  BestTrip.TV took a 'dip' during our cruise on the Seabourn Quest.  One-of-a-Kind Wellness: Dr. Andrew Weil's Mindful Living Program on... read more

You can't enjoy life - even luxury travel - if you don't have sleep. That's the premise of the new ship-board wellness program on Celebrity Cruises in conjunction with its spa and wellness partner Canyon Ranch SpaClub.It's not just about getting your 'beauty sleep' these days. It's about stressful lifestyles and poor sleeping habits that have left many of us... read more

It's where stand up paddleboard meets downward dog – in a South Beach-style pool overlooking Vancouver's seawall and mountains. The latest trend in West Coast wellness lifestyle, the stand up paddleboard (SUP), is well established in Vancouver. And yoga? Well that's a no-brainer. But it took local SUP pioneer and yoga instructor Kristy Wright Schell to bring the two together... read more