Nadia Bess

While I was in Miami for our Virgin Voyages experience, I checked out hotels that could be good pre or post-cruise hotel options. 

The UAE was my most surprising and fun trip. Over 85% of its residents are expats, meaning there is a real multicultural flair in the city! From the markets to the stores to the restaurants, you can travel the whole world in one trip.

Away from the resort towns on the coasts and almost completely devoid of chains, Oaxaca is the perfect taste of authentic Mexico. It’s the perfect destination for foodies. Many argue that Oaxaca has the best food in Mexico and many up-and-coming chefs get started in Oaxaca. Even better, dining and food experiences are easy on the wallet in Oaxaca, especially in comparison to other foodie destinations throughout the world! Excellent street food, taco joints and food markets offer delicious food on the cheap and even fine dining tasting menus are reasonably priced. When you need a break from eating, the amount of cultural immersion activities you can experience will keep you busy until your next meal. Make sure to bring your walking shoes. You’ll be walking all over, partially because it’s the easiest way to get around but also because it will help you work up an appetite for all the delicious food you’ll be eating while in Oaxaca!

Helsinki, Finland, is often overlooked in many tourists' European aspirations, but it is one of my favorite cities in Europe! It is clean, safe, easily walkable and full of creative boutiques and galleries, delicious restaurants and adorable streets. All of the locals are friendly and helpful. I got asked numerous times by locals why I would visit Helsinki in winter and the answer was simple — it’s a great launching point for Northern Lights chasing further North in Lapland. Start your journey here for a city full of culture and charm before continuing on to your next destination.

If you are headed to Scandinavia in the middle of winter, there is typically one thing you're after - the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). Sweden and Finland have some epic unique luxury hotels, including a wellness hotel that floats on a river, an ice hotel that is constructed with ice from the river from designs submitted from artists from all over the world and a gorgeous igloo hotel with a private jacuzzi that is perfectly situated for Northern Light viewing. Combine them all for a perfect itinerary in Lapland where you can chase the Northern Lights, experience amazing winter wonderland activities, and dabble in the amazing Scandinavian wellness culture.

If you are headed to Finland in the middle of winter, there is typically one thing you are after - the aurora borealis (northern lights). To increase your odds of seeing the northern lights, travel as far north as possible and stay there for as long as you can. Even though the northern lights are present every night in the winter months, you need the right conditions (no clouds, clear skies, cold temperatures and specific solar wind and speed) to see them. Ideally, you want at least a week north of the Arctic Circle (66.6° N) to give yourself the best odds of seeing them. You can also download an app that sends you notifications when there may be northern lights outside. The absolute ideal time to visit is from mid-February until early March, preferably two weeks after the full moon, so it will be as dark as possible. In the daytime, you can occupy yourself with every kind of winter pursuit imaginable, including snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice go-karting, reindeer visits, snowshoeing, icebreaker boat rides and more!

Las Vegas is a fantastic girls' trip location. Whether it be a bachelorette party, a girls' reunion, or just a long weekend getaway, there is something for everyone — even those over the club scene! With restaurants, shopping, spas, pools, nature getaways and endless attractions, you could be entertained in Las Vegas for months! Even better, most of the luxurious hotels offer relatively affordable rates, meaning your girls' getaway can stay on budget even while treating yourselves.

Stockholm is a city built around water; it’s spread across 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges. The city is full of charming cafes, cobblestone alleyways, and numerous waterfront promenades and viewpoints. One third of the city is made up of parks so you are never too far from a nature break. 90% of the city’s subway stations have art installations and the buildings are often painted in bright colors, meaning there is color around every corner in Stockholm. The city and archipelago are well connected via subway, bus, train, and ferry, which makes Stockholm a very easy city to explore. While it’s very popular to visit during the summer for all of the warm weather festivals, visiting it during the winter will allow you to see the city from a new perspective, avoid crowds, and really appreciate the abundance of saunas. Stockholm is also the perfect launching point to venture north to Lapland, explore before cruises, or to visit the rest of Scandinavia afterwards!

San Diego’s laid-back locals, temperate sunny weather, beautiful beaches, lively food and drink scene, many neighborhoods with different personas and numerous family-friendly attractions mean that any type of traveler could entertain themselves in San Diego. One of my favorite weekend trips is to take the train down the coast and spend time on the beach and enjoying all of the excellent restaurants in San Diego.

Vancouver, with direct flights from many US Cities, especially on the West Coast, makes for an easy weekend getaway with reasonable weather year round and plentiful nature opportunities. The city is close to the ocean, islands, forest and mountains so outdoor activities could occupy you endlessly. Foodies will love the city’s eateries full of sustainably sourced seafood and locally grown produce. Vancouver is also an easy launching point for exploring the islands of the Pacific Northwest, taking an Alaskan cruise or heading to Whistler.

Visiting Stockholm or the Swedish Lapland? Harads, a charming village with only 600 people situated just south of the Arctic circle, is the perfect destination to add on for some ultimate bucket-list winter adventures. From a treehouse to a spa hotel floating on a river, the hotels in Harads will take your breath away for an idyllic winter wonderland getaway. Lulea Airport is only roughly an hour from Harads and has direct flights to Stockholm, Paris, London and Dusseldorf, making it an ideal long weekend getaway or add-on to a Northern Europe itinerary. From dogsledding to snowmobiling to viewing the Northern Lights, the number of winter activities available to you in this region is endless! Because the Northern Lights cannot be guaranteed, the longer you are able to stay close to the Arctic Circle, the more opportunities for viewing you will have.

London is one of my favorite cities! Between the numerous gourmet restaurants, friendly locals and gorgeous decor, I am never sad to pop into London again. London is a city you are likely to visit more than once as it is a common international layover in many flight routes. After you’ve visited all the main attractions, why not experience some of the lesser-known gems in London by taking a cocktail tour of the city? This will allow you to experience London as the locals do — with a drink in hand.

California wine country is on the bucket list of many. However, many of the wine regions, such as Napa and Sonoma, are far from major airports and very spread apart. Healdsburg — which flies under the radar — is just the opposite. Sonoma County Airport (STS) is only 15 minutes from downtown Healdsburg and offers direct connections to most major cities in the Western US. Healdsburg, built around a town square, oozes charm and is full of winery tasting rooms, excellent restaurants — multiple of which have Michelin stars, cute boutiques and art galleries. If you want to venture outside of town, there are wineries in all four directions, nature trails for hiking and biking and the town is located on the Russian River for water activities. It’s a perfect long weekend getaway for all four seasons.

Orange County, California, lying in between the major destinations of Los Angeles and San Diego, flies under the radar of most travelers! With tons of gourmet restaurants, many luxury oceanfront hotels, year-round sunshine and so many adventurous things to do, Orange County is a fantastic getaway for a long weekend, a beach getaway or added onto an LA or SD trip.

Traveling to Southern Africa is an experience that captivates the soul and ignites a lifelong passion for the continent. From the breathtaking landscapes of the Winelands to the vibrant culture of Cape Town and the untamed wilderness of safari, each stop will reveal a new layer of your newfound love for Africa. South Africa is the perfect spot for a first-time visit to Africa. Its diverse range of destinations allows visitors to experience the city, ocean, wine regions, safari and the bucket-list-worthy Victoria Falls all in one trip! Once you’ve felt the magic of Africa firsthand, you’ll find yourself longing to return; our clients are always itching to get back as soon as their trip is over!