where are you going?

I’ve been doing several Top 12 of 2012 lists to round out the year, and initially had a Top 12 New Destinations of 2012 list in the making. But I decided to scrap it — 12 wasn’t a good number for this one.  I wanted to narrow it down to the destinations that REALLY floored me this year, without adding any fillers. Here are the new 2012 destinations that impressed me the most this year: Faroe Islands Wild, barren, stark, isolated, and breathtakingly beautiful — I never dreamed that paradise on Earth would look like this (or feel so cold!), but that’s what the Faroe Islands were to me.  The scenery was so beautiful, I found myself constantly picking my jaw off the ground. Don’t Miss: The photogenic village of Gasadalur , haute Faroese cuisine at Koks in Tórshavn , hiking around the island of Mykines . Istria This is the side of Croatia often overlooked by tourists.  Leave the coast and drive into the hills and you’ll find adorable towns covered in roses and artwork.  Inland Is

Let us begin this article with a little analysis of this photo. Does anything look unusual to you here? Maybe the trees? Looks like a forest? Even like a river? But surfing on a river? I don’t know about you, but this came as a big news to me when I first heard about it from a friend last week. The photo was taken in Munich, at a small, man-made river stretch called Eisbach, located inside the English Garden. The current here is unusually strong with nice waves making it possible for people to surf here. The river is about 8m wide here and there are places like Eisbachwelle who can teach you to surf here to take you along for a try out. photos by While Munich sort of takes the cake for river surfing with its 2 locations of Eisbach and Flosslande, there are other locations throughout the world such as Kawarau River near Queenstown in New Zealand, the Lachine Rapids in Montreal, Canada or at the Jackson Hole in Wyoming, USA. The sport dates back to the 1970 and while it’s by no mean

What is the number one thing travelers tend to stress over? What to pack! Each gadget and gizmo claims to make life on the road easier, but what truly is helpful to keep you calm, focus and having a lot of fun? We’ve compiled our list of perfect gifts to give your loved ones who are jet-setters all over the world that are useful, beautiful and should be included in everyone’s suitcase. Scroll below to enter the GIVEAWAY hosted by Pure Wander and Learning Patience, open to UK and US residents. Prizes include Brookstone Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Lomography Camera Marrakesh Edition and iTunes gift cards. Winners announced just in time for the holidays!   Osprey Ozone 36 Convertible Carry-On Bag It’s a never ending battle with airlines to make sure your carry-on luggage is up to standards. Too many times I’ve had to pay a fee for a too-big bag when I’m trying to avoid checking one. It was well worth investing in the Ozone 36, which fits all EU standard carry-on requirement

I love a good road trip. There's nothing quite like hitting the open road, windows down and music blaring with nothing but adventure on the horizon. (Or, you know, maybe you'll be driving twisty mountain roads in the pouring rain… either way, ADVENTURE!) On my last trip to New Zealand, I went on my own mini road trip from Christchurch to Kaikoura and back (and then did another one-day roadie with a friend to Mount Cook from Wanaka). Driving in New Zealand is always an adventure — and not just because they drive on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car. This is a road that two-way traffic drives on. Driving in New Zealand is like driving through some magical fantasy land (it really kind of IS Middle-Earth). There are so many amazing landscapes — and they can change drastically even when you're just driving for a couple of hours. That being said, there are some things you need to know if you plan on renting a car and driving in New Zealand. DOs and DON

Last week I went to Norway to visit friends and family, and decided that this time I was going to do some touristy stuff as well. One of the main things on my to-do-list when I visit a city is to go to thrift stores and flea markets, and Oslo was no exception. Instead of the standard souvenirs I love to find unique local, possibly weird and cheap treasures. So after a lazy Sunday breakfast, my friends and I headed over to the Sunday market at Blå in Oslo. Every Sunday from 12 to 17 you can go treasure hunting at this charming little market. You can find both homemade and second-hand clothes, jewelery, bags, ceramics, art and more. Blå is located in Brennerivn 9. More pictures and information about the market here. (In Norwegian). By night Blå is a good location for parties and concerts, have a look at the website here for the program. Happy shopping and don’t forget to taste the homemade waffles! Kathrine Opshaug Bakke, editor at Travelettes from 2009 to 2013, wrote this post.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images) Will we ever get it right? If you are a traveler, you have to pack. As stylist Christina Burns says, “Your clothes become part of your travel story.” Packing can be annoying or exciting, a chore or giddy anticipation. Try our tips below from those in the Virtuoso family, all expert travelers. Create a Packing Spreadsheet This might work for only the most ambitious among us, but if you take Virtuoso travel advisor Jane Martz’s lead and create a packing spreadsheet – further divided by time of day and activity – you just might have the easiest trip of your life. Take inspiration from her spreadsheet, seen below. Prepare for Elegance “I always travel with one dress more elegant than plans call for, just in case I wind up with an invitation or opportunity where I would need to be elegant (and of course that means the shoes and purse, too!).” -Shelby Donley, Virtuoso travel advisor Do Laundry “I simply cannot bear the thought of a lost bag! I can get

Our trusty guide Gulli leads the way. When my sister Sarah started planning her own trip to Iceland two weeks before mine, we decided to have her tell you about some adventures of her own!  Here’s the story of her Hot Spring Hunt with Arctic Adventures.  –Kate If there is one thing you must do in Iceland (especially if you are a city dweller like myself), it is to get out into the middle of nowhere.   Luckily, Icelanders know how stunning their country is, and there are countless easy ways for visitors to get out and see it.  When Zack and I heard about the Hot Spring Hunt – a trip that would allow us to hike through the beautiful countryside, and bathe in natural hot springs – we knew we had to check it out. The Arctic Adventures office is located on Laugavegur, the main shopping street in Reykjavik, an easy walking distance from almost anywhere in town.  While we opted to meet at the office, the Arctic Adventures crew will pick you up from just about any hotel, hostel or guesthous