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10 travel memberships that are worth the money

November 11, 2021 // By Leila Najafi

By Leila Najafi November 11, 2021

We live in a subscription-obsessed world and there’s a subscription for everything you can imagine, from razors to clothing and even hot sauces. Travel memberships are on the rise, providing new ways to ease some of the stress that comes with traveling these days and help make the journey more seamless.

Whether you’re willing to pay a premium for exclusive travel experiences that provide a little more privacy or you're more budget-conscious and want to find the best travel deals, there’s a membership for every type of traveler. Here are 10 travel memberships that are worth considering.

Wheels Up offers private jet charter memberships so travelers can access a fleet of aircrafts, including a King Air 350i, an 8-passenger Citation Excel/XLS, and one of the fastest aircrafts, the Citation X. Wheels Up uses a dynamic pricing model offering competitive rates, so members can book flights on-demand with the flexibility to pay as they go.

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Additional m embership benefits include invites to signature events, President’s Circle status with Hertz, a complimentary trial of Inspirato Club subscription for 12 months (Core members only), certain perks at select Waldorf Astoria hotels across North America, a partnership with Delta SkyMiles, dedicated partnership rates with Porsche and more.

Membership cost: Three membership options are available – Connect, Core and Business. The Connect membership requires a one-time initiation fee of $2,995 and annual dues of $2,495 which begin on year two. The Core membership has an initiation fee of $17,500 and annual dues of $8,500 which begin on year two. The Business membership requires an initiation fee of $29,500 and $14,500 for subsequent years and includes up to six lead passengers.

Getting through airport security lines can be a drag, especially during holiday weekends and a pandemic that has increased the demand for more seclusion when traveling. PS (formerly known as Private Suite) is designed for first and business class travelers who are seeking privacy and convenience, allowing them to bypass LAX altogether.

Travelers check into a private terminal where they can relax in a fully-stocked luxury private suite that includes complimentary in-suite meals catered by h.wood Group , as well as additional services upon request such as in-suite massages, manicures and detailing services for personal cars. PS also provides a designated on-site TSA and Customs agent for expedited screening.

Upon boarding, travelers are transported across the tarmac directly to their aircraft in a BMW 7 Series sedan. Earlier this year, the Salon at PS launched, which features a new full-service lounge at the terminal for travelers who want the same benefits of PS but seek a more social experience.

Membership cost: Annual membership costs $4,500, which gives members access to a preferred rate of $3,250 for a one-way Suite experience for up to four travelers. The Salon is available to members and non-members for $695 per use per person.

Inspirato is a subscription-based luxury travel service that gives members exclusive access to over 150,000 luxury vacation homes and resorts around the world that are staffed by Inspirato. There are two membership types: Inspirato Club and Inspirato Pass. The former gives you access to the luxury residences and hotels around the world, on-site concierge and daily housekeeping with additional benefits such as late check-in and check-out, room upgrades, spa credits and more. However, members also pay nightly room rates.

With the Inspirato Pass, you automatically get the benefits of Inspirato Club plus nightly rates are already factored into the price of membership, so you can book as many vacations as possible in one month with one active reservation at a time. There is also no long-term commitment, so you can cancel the membership at any time.

Membership cost: Inspirato Club membership is $600/month plus a $600 enrollment fee and you pay nightly rates as you go. Inspirato Pass is a flat rate of $2,500/month which includes all hotel stays.

Scott’s Cheap Flights

A membership to Scott’s Cheap Flights includes flight deals and “Mistake Fares” accidentally published by airlines sent straight to your inbox. The team scours the internet for the lowest published airfare rates to popular destinations and shares them with members.

Subscribers can also track deals from a specific airport close to home or destinations of interest. A membership to Scott’s Cheap Flights is best for travelers who have flexibility on the destination and dates and are willing to fly based on low airfare rates. Flight deals don’t last long so you’ll have to act fast.

Membership cost: There are three membership tiers including Limited which is free, Premium costs $49/year and Elite $199/year.

PRIOR was started by a former travel editor who saw a gap in the market for travelers wanting a more immersive experience during their vacation. A team of experienced travel editors and local tastemakers on the ground design itineraries for curious travelers.

A PRIOR WORLD membership includes access to curated destination guides, unique local experiences in cities around the world, pre-planned group trips led by experts and for an additional fee, the team can create a custom itinerary based on your interests.

If you're a frequent traveler, PRIOR BESPOKE might be the membership better suited for you. For a flat fee per year, members get unlimited trip planning by their expert team of travel editors and membership managers.

Membership cost: PRIOR WORLD membership costs $249 per annum. PRIOR BESPOKE is $5,000 per annum.

Priority Pass

Airport terminals may have come a long way in the last decade, but killing time for a three-hour layover in a crowded airport isn’t exactly on anyone’s list of things to do, especially on vacation. Trade the busy terminals for private lounge access with Priority Pass and enjoy guaranteed Wi-Fi and snacks.

Members of Priority Pass receive access to over 1,300 airport lounges globally, including several airline lounges such as Virgin Atlantic, Air France and Turkish Airlines. Several credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express offer free Priority Pass memberships as part of their member benefits.

Membership cost: Choose from three membership tiers which start at $99/year for the Standard membership plus $32 per visit and go up to $429/year for the Prestige membership which includes unlimited lounge visits.

TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry are services that allow travelers to expedite the security screening process upon departure and arrival. With CLEAR Plus, enrolled members get escorted to the front of the security line once they’ve been verified using facial recognition or fingerprint scans, so they no longer have to verify identification at security. However, for expedited clearance through security screenings, TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry are still required.

CLEAR uses biometric identifiers to create a unique ID assigned to each member that is used for verification at stations across airports, stadiums and other major venues nationwide.

Membership cost: A CLEAR Plus membership is $179 per year. American Express Platinum Card Members receive a $179 statement credit and United MileagePlus members receive a discounted membership rate.

Well Traveled

Well Traveled is a members-only social and booking platform that allows members to connect with friends to find and share travel recommendations. The community-driven platform is intended to make travel planning easier by allowing you to follow people in your network that you trust, in addition to other like-minded travelers who share similar budgets and travel preferences.

Members can also take advantage of the personalized booking service that includes perks like exclusive rates, room upgrades, food & beverage credits, complimentary breakfast and more. Currently, membership is invite-only but you can also apply to be considered.

Membership cost: $150 per year.

Travel + Leisure Club

Travel + Leisure Club is a new travel subscription service offered by Travel + Leisure Group. Members can pay a monthly fee for access to preferred pricing on curated itineraries and an average of 25% savings on hotels, resorts, car rentals and activities that are listed on Travel + Leisure GO, the online travel booking site. Plus, members get a subscription to the glossy print magazine.

Members also get access to a personal concierge that can assist with travel planning, scoring tickets to sold-out events, making dinner reservations and more.

Membership cost: Travel + Leisure Club is currently offering an introductory rate of $9.95/month.

Exclusive Resorts

Designed for families who value privacy, Exclusive Resorts is a small community of members (only 150 new members accepted each year) that get access to over 350 luxury residences around the world including the Amalfi Coast, Barcelona, Deer Valley, Kaua’i, Los Cabos, St. Barts and more.

Guests enjoy a more personalized experience with a dedicated on-site team who can assist with pre-trip planning details such as stocking the fridge with your favorite snacks, booking a massage or private chef, and housekeeping services.

Membership cost: There is a one-time, non-refundable initiation fee of $150,000 for a 10-year membership. Annual dues are $1,395/night and members travel 15-30 nights per year.

About Leila Najafi

Leila Najafi is a luxury travel writer based in LA who is a member of more subscription services than she'd like to admit.

Read more about Leila Najafi here.

Connect with Leila via: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok

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How Can You Tell If a ‘Travel Club’ Is a Scam?

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com , a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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The idea of a “travel club” covers a wide range of organizations and activities, from scam-like timeshares to legitimate memberships that can save you money. All are certainly not equal.

Many are legitimate low-risk operations, such as AARP , AAA , and other independent travel promoters. The most reliable ones are those you’ll recognize the names of. Some resort chains call themselves “clubs,” like Club Med’s all-inclusive resorts . Membership to these is mostly harmless marketing hype, but can offer real discounts: The more exclusive organizations may be exempt from agreements that prohibit third-party agencies from slashing their rates.

Membership fees, if any, are usually nominal—often under $50 a year—and you can easily opt out if the club doesn’t deliver real value. All you have to lose is the minimal initial fee. The discounts they claim may be no better than you could get through other sources, but they’re usually not worse, either. For well-known travel brands like these ones, the scam risk is minimal.

How to Spot a Travel Club That’s a Scam

Others, however, pose a big financial risk. Some require stiff membership fees up front—usually several hundred up to thousands of dollars—and they may commit you to big annual fees indefinitely. They can certainly be honest in that they deliver what they promise; many travelers are happy with their memberships despite the risks and limitations. Others, however, ask you to pay big up front for some promised future benefit. These may or may not be honest; some are clearly outright scams, and others simply inflate the benefits and disguise the drawbacks.

According to law enforcement officials, oftentimes the promised “discount” and “savings” never materialize: The promoters provide prices that are no better than travelers can buy openly, through a wide range of discount sources, and the promised “dream” vacations never seem to become available. They’re selling pie in the sky, and Marie Callender is better at making pies.

The big-dollar travel clubs are the ones should be subject to your scam scrutiny. Although no approach is foolproof, you can usually find out what you need by asking and fact-checking a few specific questions. Here’s what you need to consider:

The Timeshare-Based Travel Club 

Many large travel “clubs” are nothing more than conventional timeshare operations, operating as clubs to avoid the unsavory reputation of timeshares. What they sell is guaranteed annual occupancy, in multiples of weeks, at a vacation area—typically a beach destination, maybe with rights to vacations in a string of different areas. And the questions you need to ask about them are the same as for a timeshare:

What Do I Actually Get?

Examine the offer in detail to find out exactly what it promises, in specific terms. Does it promise a guaranteed specific interval at a specific location? Does it promise enrollment in a recognized exchange system? Check the fine print on the exchange, especially for limitations on how you can use your exchange “points.”

Is There a Switch to the Bait?

Is the asking price the full price? Does the featured buy-in include everything you have to pay up front, or are you subject to additional fees and charges? Does the promotion say or hint that you’d be better off with a higher-level membership?  

What Is My Ongoing Obligation?

In most property-based clubs, your buy-in is only the start. You’re also on the hook for various monthly/yearly “maintenance” payments and assessments. And the operator typically reserves the right to increase these payments without your approval or right of refusal.

Is There Any Asset Value?

Some very high-end vacation clubs actually own a string of vacation properties; members share in the ownership of these properties, and the club operator agrees to repurchase for a reasonable price. But most mass-market vacation clubs offer no asset value to back up your initial “investment.” At best, you own your “membership” and can sell it or pass it along to your heirs. However, some deals are for the term of your life only and revert to the owner on your death.

Is There an Escape Clause or Resell Limitation?

Club promoters may not accept a return, even for a reduced price, and some timeshare-based clubs may limit your ability to resell. The travel literature is full of horror stories of people who just want to get rid of ongoing payments, even if it means giving the interest back to the promoter with no return.

The “Big-Discount” Travel Club

Other clubs promise they have access to large discounts on airfares, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours, and just about any other travel service you can name. The ones that charge minimal fees are no more than a nuisance; if they don’t work out, you won’t have to refinance your house. But some ask for big membership fees, and those can be a big risk. As with timeshare clones, you have to ask some questions before you buy into one of them:

What’s My Exposure to Risk?

As with a timeshare, you have to check what you actually get, your future ongoing obligations, and, perhaps most importantly, your cancellation options. Check the fine print to make sure that the discounts are guaranteed. “Subject to availability” doesn’t cut it.  

Are the Claimed Discounts Real?

Challenge—and verify—all claimed “discount” deals. Don’t be gullible: Ask to see a list of currently-available deals, and check them through conventional search systems before you accept any broad claim that it will save you money.

Are the Posted Discount Prices Honest?

One hotel-discount membership organization I recently checked out posted some really attractive original prices. But when I went through to the final buy-it page, I found the initial prices did not include mandatory resort fees, taxes, and fees imposed by the travel club. The all-up total prices were about the same as I could get through Tripadvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) search links.

What Do Others Say?

The club’s promotional materials probably highlight gushing testimonials. Don’t take them at face value—promoters can easily satisfy enough travelers to elicit a few genuine rave reviews, which the company will then highlight. Instead, check with review and complaint sites like the Better Business Bureau , Yelp , Google reviews (which usually now appear simply by Googling a business), and any other online review source you like. Also, Google the club to see if it has generated any serious complaints—or, even worse, law enforcement actions.

Scam Rules to Know for Any Kind of Travel Club

Make sure any club you’re considering can pass an easy scam test. Often, you can answer the scam-or-not question before you even see the details of a club promotion. Initial claims often can offer some early scam clues:

Scam Clue 1: The promotion is claiming that you’re getting something “free.” No travel service of real value is ever free. The club promoter is making a profit somewhere along the process. Nothing is free. Repeat this to yourself as often as is necessary.

Scam Clue 2: A promotion claiming you’ve “won” something. If you didn’t knowingly sign up for a sweepstakes run by some outfit that had terms and conditions you agreed to, any out-of-the-blue “winner” notification is almost surely a scam.

Scam Clue 3 : A promotion claiming you’ve been “specially selected” for membership. A lot of robocalls are currently making this pitch. The only outcome you’ve been selected for is a fleecing.

Scam Clue 4 : A promotion demanding that you “act now” or lose the deal. If a deal is actually honest, it will still be there after you take a day or so to check it.

Scam Clue 5 : A promotion that poses as an investment. Some property-based clubs claim, or at least imply, that your membership is an investment. That’s just false for anything that’s not outright property ownership. Fractional ownership such as timeshare may be a good way to vacation to the same place every year—but it’s a lousy overall investment.

I can’t guarantee that following these guidelines can totally shield you from a scam (no one can). But they’re a good start to protecting yourself.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2015. It had been updated to reflect the most current information. Prior reporting by Calvin Hennick contributed to this story.

More from SmarterTravel:

• How  to  Avoid  Counterfeit  Money  While  Traveling
• 6  Cruise  Scams  You  Should  Never  Fall  For
• Europe  Travel  Scams  to  Watch  Out  For

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuse every day at SmarterTravel.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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What is a Travel Club? Exploring the Benefits, Types and Tips for Choosing the Right One

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Travel clubs are an increasingly popular way for people to explore the world. With a travel club membership, you can access special deals and discounts on flights, hotels, and vacation packages, take advantage of unique experiences, and receive expert advice and support. But what exactly is a travel club and how do you choose the right one? In this article, we’ll explore the history of travel clubs, the benefits of joining one, types of travel clubs and what they offer, tips for choosing the right one, and frequently asked questions.

History of Travel Clubs – How it All Began

The concept of a travel club began in the late 19th century when a group of wealthy individuals formed a social organization to share their love of travel. Since then, the concept has evolved and now there are a variety of travel clubs available to suit different needs and budgets.

The Origin of Travel Clubs

The first travel clubs were exclusive organizations that catered to wealthy travelers. These clubs provided members with access to luxurious accommodations, private transportation, and other VIP benefits. Over time, these clubs grew in popularity and eventually opened up to the public. Today, there is a wide range of travel clubs available to suit different budgets and interests.

The Evolution of Travel Clubs

As travel clubs have evolved, so have their offerings. Many of today’s travel clubs offer members access to exclusive discounts and deals on flights, hotels, and vacation packages, as well as unique experiences such as cooking classes, wine tastings, and spa treatments. Additionally, many clubs provide members with expert advice and support to make their travel experience even more enjoyable.

The Benefits of Joining a Travel Club

Joining a travel club offers a variety of benefits. Here are some of the most common:

• Access to Special Deals and Discounts: Travel clubs often offer members exclusive access to deals and discounts on flights, hotels, and vacation packages. This can help you save money on your next trip.
• Variety of Destinations and Experiences: Most travel clubs offer access to a wide range of destinations and experiences. Whether you’re looking for a beach getaway or a cultural adventure, there’s something for everyone.
• Receive Expert Advice and Support: Travel clubs often provide members with access to expert advice and support. This can be invaluable when planning a trip, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the destination.

Types of Travel Clubs and What They Offer

There are a variety of travel clubs available to meet different needs and interests. Here are some of the most common:

• Luxury Travel Clubs: Luxury travel clubs offer members access to exclusive discounts and deals on luxury accommodations, private transportation, gourmet meals, and more. These clubs also often provide access to unique experiences, such as cooking classes, wine tastings, and spa treatments.
• Group Travel Clubs: Group travel clubs are ideal for those who prefer to travel in groups. These clubs often offer discounts on group trips, as well as access to exclusive events and activities.
• Adventure Travel Clubs: Adventure travel clubs provide members with access to thrilling experiences, such as white water rafting, skydiving, and mountaineering. These clubs also often provide access to expert guides and instructors.
• Cruise Travel Clubs: Cruise travel clubs offer members exclusive discounts and deals on cruises, as well as access to unique experiences, such as onboard entertainment and shore excursions.

Tips for Choosing the Right Travel Club

Choosing the right travel club can be overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you make the best decision:

• Consider Your Budget: Before you join a travel club, consider your budget. Some travel clubs require an upfront fee while others may offer monthly or annual payments. Make sure you choose a club that fits within your budget.
• Check for Reviews: It’s always a good idea to read reviews before joining a travel club. Look for reviews from members who have used the club to get an idea of what the experience is like.
• Look for Flexible Payment Options: Many travel clubs offer flexible payment options, such as monthly or annual payments. This can be helpful if you’re on a tight budget but still want to take advantage of the benefits of a travel club.
• Find Out What’s Included in Membership: Make sure you find out what’s included in the membership before you join. Some clubs may include access to exclusive discounts and deals, while others may offer access to unique experiences or expert advice.

Exploring the World with a Travel Club

Once you’ve joined a travel club, you can start exploring the world. Here are some tips to make the most out of your experience:

• Making the Most Out of Your Experience: Take advantage of the discounts and deals offered by your travel club. You can also look for special offers and promotions, such as free upgrades and complimentary meals.
• Taking Advantage of Special Offers: Many travel clubs offer members access to exclusive events and activities, such as cooking classes, wine tastings, and spa treatments. Take advantage of these offers to get the most out of your experience.
• Taking Care of Your Safety and Security: Make sure you take care of your safety and security when traveling. Research your destination, register with your embassy, and follow local laws and customs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Clubs

Here are some of the most common questions about travel clubs:

• What is the Cost of Joining a Travel Club? The cost of joining a travel club varies depending on the type of club and the benefits included. Some clubs may require an upfront fee while others may offer monthly or annual payments.
• Are There Age Restrictions? Generally, there are no age restrictions for joining a travel club. However, some clubs may require members to be 18 or over.
• Are Membership Fees Refundable? Depending on the club, membership fees may be refundable. Check with the club before joining to find out their refund policy.
• Are There Any Hidden Costs? Some clubs may charge additional fees for certain services, such as booking flights or hotels. Make sure you read the fine print and ask any questions before joining.

Travel clubs offer a variety of benefits, from access to special deals and discounts to unique experiences and expert advice and support. When choosing a travel club, consider your budget, check for reviews, look for flexible payment options, and find out what’s included in membership. With a travel club membership, you can explore the world and make the most out of your experience.

(Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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These Private Travel Clubs Are Exclusive — and Affordable

If unrivaled access and seamless planning sound like your style, perhaps it’s time to sign up for a private travel group.

Andria Gutierrez is a marketing executive in Lake Tahoe, California, who loves to travel — but doesn't love the time suck of researching vacations. "When I was younger, I planned all my own trips," she says. "But now that I own a business, I just don't have the spare hours anymore."

That's why she recently joined Allcall , which offers personalized itineraries and exclusive deals to members. She's already taken three Allcall trips, including a multi-state ski trip and a vacation in Baja California, Mexico. "The team is incredibly helpful and responsive," Gutierrez says. "They make the planning process so efficient."

While some established outfits like Exclusive Resorts and Wheels Up have catered to the ultra-wealthy for years, a number of new clubs are opening their doors. One reason is, of course, a new obsession with safety.

"Health has become the paramount concern of our members," says Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder of Indagare , which plans and books trips for its members. "We have a ton of information on COVID protocols, and the team takes care of understanding those, even as they change all the time."

There are other factors at play. "I'd traveled independently for decades," says Suzy Kellems Dominik, an artist from New York City. But hearing about an opportunity to visit Modena, Italy, with acclaimed chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana was enough to convince her to join Prior , a company that started in 2019.

"What's so interesting is that they have this access," Kellems Dominik says. "It's intellectual and emotional travel — the imagination is just endless — and they curated a group of very interesting people who were all like-minded around food."

That ability to open doors is also drawing travelers who don't normally think of themselves as joiners. Around half of all millennials are now considering signing up for some form of travel club, according to one industry survey, outpacing the interest from Gen Xers and baby boomers. Even Exclusive Resorts, which charges an extra hefty fee per day for trips on top of the cost of membership, has seen a surge of interest from young families. In 2020, the company notched its best December in nine years, despite the pandemic.

So which of these clubs is right for you? It all depends on what you're looking for — and how much you're ready to invest.

For Upscale Private Stays

Exclusive Resorts has a portfolio of over 400 vacation homes, plus members-only cruises and expeditions. Inspirato has the keys to villas in over 180 locations; members can also jump aboard cruises arranged by the company. A more affordable choice is Koala , which allows travelers to book one-off stays in timeshares all over the globe.

For a Like-Minded Community

El Camino began as a small-group-trip operator focused on helping women to travel to new places, but has since unveiled El Camino Travel Clubhouse, a platform that allows members to participate in virtual events and chats about upcoming trips. Manifest , which debuted in August 2020, has chapters in cities across the United States. "We create a social aspect, with people getting to know each other outside of just traveling together," founder Jeff Potter says.

For Feel-good Trips

The upstart wellness website and app MyLifeWell went live in 2020 with virtual fitness classes and a selection of workout gear. Now it connects subscribers with travel advisors who specialize in booking wellness retreats at Canyon Ranch properties, among others.

For the Commitment-phobic

The high cost of clubs has historically been a barrier to signing up. But in the spring of 2020, Prior lowered its price tag in an effort to draw together a more diverse group of adventurers. "I don't want a club in the sense of shutting people out," founder David Prior says. Travel + Leisure Co. launched its own affordable subscription club, promising preferential rates and insider experiences around the world.

A version of this story first appeared in the June 2020 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline Join the Club.

• Klub putnika

While I go around I dream about a group of men and women from all over the world that would constitute archipelago of humans with wider understandings. Wandering and extravagant, in search of new configurations, distant from usual cultural field. New mental energies. Fresh air would blow through the world.

— Kenneth White

The Travel Club is a community of travelers, explorers and creators, founded on the ideas of free sharing, free movement, and personal exploration of the world.

The Travel Club was founded at the turn of the millennium, when great poverty in the countries of former Yugoslavia, together with the prohibitive visa regimes of surrounding countries, made traveling almost impossible for the people in this part of the Balkans, leaving us isolated in our own geographical and cultural space. The mission of the Club was to teach people how to penetrate this barrier and personally reconnect with the world in spite of all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, relying heavily on hitchhiking, hospitality, loopholes in visa procedures and so on. Over time, our focus shifted from travel to exploration and creative work.

To travel means to move. In and of itself, traveling means nothing, but it can serve as a starting point for something. We see traveling as a tool for building a culture of solidarity and understanding, for developing attitude and sensibility, for forging personal, intimate bonds with the world; an antidote to prejudice, stupidity and hatred, helping us to become immune to borders without and within; the creative drive of an artist, the joy of an explorer, the passion of a cartographer who draws her own unique map – as each and every one of us must do.

The world belongs to all of us. We all have the right to live in it, as well as the responsibility to leave it in a better state than it was when we came into it. For that to be possible, we first need to get to know it. We can learn about the world from the comfort of our armchairs, through what others are saying and writing about it, but that kind of knowledge is problematic on many levels. It has been said that we are living in the time of post-truth; today more than ever before, each of us is responsible for our own education. That education requires us to get out of our house, out of the concentric circles of our family, village, town, nation, religion, ideology.

The Travel Club is centered around the concepts of understanding, connecting, and creating value . We try to understand the world, as best we can, and help those who inhabit it to understand each other – as best they can. We try to connect the world, but not in the way it is done by the corporate logic and the interests of the capital. We are connecting the world individually, intimately, by our own movement from point to point, from place to place and from person to person, and building personal connections.  The Travel Club logo, a white arrow on a black circle, stands for the concept of Brownian motion: as it moves around, a particle collides with other particles, thus changing their trajectories as well as its own. A person moves around the planet, changing everything they touch, and being changed by every touch. Mankind is the sum of feelings, thoughts and actions of all its people: a grand civilizational project we all participate in, creating value for ourselves and others along the way.

So far, most of our activities have been tied to the Balkan cultural and linguistic area – our public lectures, books, community projects, travel-writing competitions and so on. This is something we are hoping to change in the future. Here are some of the international projects we have carried out:

• As an independent publishing house, we have so far published three books, one of which, Bantustan , is available in English;
• We have organized six Travel Houses/Schools (Turkey, Spain, Greece, Georgia, Portugal and Latvia), providing free accommodation to a total of 1,000+ travelers from 80+ countries;
• We have completed two short documentaries: No life (Mauritania, 2018) and See you all in Shenzhen (China, 2022);
• We have been maintaining this website for almost two decades, publishing travel-and-culture-related content, and providing free advice for independent travelers;
• We have carried out dozens of expeditions around the world, collecting materials for our articles, books and films.

Our goal is not a hyperproduction of contents, likeability, clickability, or amassing a large following. We may not create much, but what we do create is done carefully, thoughtfully and meticulously, with great attention to purpose and detail.

MODUS OPERANDI

The Travel Club is a non-profit. There is no hierarchy nor official membership; we are a group of loosely connected people scattered around the planet. All our projects are funded through crowdfunding and carried out through volunteering. Any money that comes our way is donated to charity or reinvested into the Club.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• If you like to travel, explore, communicate, share and create, and if you believe that we could do something together – feel free to contact us and tell us all about it. All our projects are collaborative, and there is nothing we enjoy more than exploring and creating in good company. We are looking forward to growing into a more international community – hopefully with your help!
• If you like what we do, please consider supporting The Travel Club  on Patreon . Your 1$ a month goes a long way in helping us stay afloat.
• To stay up to date with our projects and activities, please subscribe to our newsletter .

We recently published our first English book: Bantustan, Atlas of an African Journey . It is an illustrated travelogue with a collection of hand-drawn maps, available on Amazon. Find out more at www.bantustanbook.com .

If you like what we do, if you'd like us to keep doing it, please support The Travel Club on Patreon . Even a smallest donation  goes a long way. More than anything, it tells us that we are not alone, that our hard work means something to somebody out there.

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What Are Senior Travel Clubs? And Should You Join One?

What is a senior travel club, anyway? A scam? A great way to save on travel? A way to meet potential travel companions? Or something else entirely?

It turns out that senior travel clubs can be any of these things.

What Are Senior Travel Clubs?

Many travel clubs charge an annual membership fee. Typically, the membership fee is modest, and provides you with access to members-only publications, information, discounts or online travel content. A few travel clubs charge an initiation fee and annual dues.

Before you decide to join a senior travel club, take a few minutes to find out which type of travel club you are considering.

Travel Groups

For seniors who are not interested in solo travel, joining a travel club can help them find interesting trips to take.  Some senior travel clubs exist for the sole purpose of organizing trips for members. Trip lengths and destinations vary.

Travel Information and Social Gathering

Other senior travel clubs are social in nature. Members are invited to attend monthly or quarterly meetings, which may involve social time and, possibly, a presentation from a member or a travel professional. This type of senior travel club would be a good fit for someone who is looking for inspiration, new friends or potential travel companions.

Transportation or Activity-Specific Travel

RV owners will be familiar with this type of travel club; in addition to clubs for owners of all types of RVs, you can also join a travel club for owners of your make or class of RV. Train enthusiasts can also join travel clubs just for them.

If your interests lie elsewhere, you will probably be able to find a travel club with like-minded members, such as a travel club for seniors who enjoy outdoor adventure.

Women-Only Travel

While there are many travel providers that organize women-only trips, it can be a bit more difficult to find a travel club created just for women. Thelma & Louise is one of the best-known online women-only travel clubs. Members share travel stories, plan trips and meetups and look for travel companions via Thelma & Louise’s website.

Money-Saving Club

Some travel clubs are formed to help members save money. Boondockers Welcome and The Affordable Travel Club , for example, help travelers arrange free RV parking (Boondockers Welcome) or lodging (The Affordable Travel Club) at members’ homes.

Travel Club Scams

Some so-called travel clubs are scams designed to part you from your hard-earned money. In some cases, scammers offer free airfare or hotel stays, often by postcard or at a “travel seminar,” but require you to pay a reservation fee in advance. When you try to book a trip, your dates are never available, and the scammer keeps your fee payment. Another version of this scam involves restrictive terms and conditions that prevent you from ever actually booking a trip.

Other travel clubs run by scammers charge thousands of dollars in upfront membership fees, promising travel discounts or free travel. Instead, the scammers disappear with your money and you are left with nothing.

To protect yourself against scammers, never agree to join a travel club if a salesperson is pressuring you to do so.

Get all the information about the club in writing and take it home.  A reputable travel club will willingly give you the information you request, without pressuring you to join.

Read every word. Do an online search for the name of the club and the names of its owners. If possible, have an attorney read the contract; in the absence of an attorney, ask a family member or friend to read the document.

Never give your credit card number or other financial information to a travel club representative unless you are joining the club. Pay dues, fees and travel costs by credit card so that you can dispute them if problems occur.

Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it is.

Where to Find Senior Travel Clubs

Start your search for a senior travel club in your own community. Senior centers and recreation departments often sponsor senior travel clubs or organize outings for local seniors. You can also do an online search; this approach is particularly helpful if you are looking for an activity-specific travel club.

Alternatives to Senior Travel Clubs

If you are reluctant to pay annual dues or a membership fee to belong to a travel club, perhaps a well-organized tour is a better choice. You can find women-only, high adventure and other themed tours quite easily, either through a travel agent or online.

You may be able to find travel meetups and presentations in your local community, perhaps through a church or community center. If you are mainly interested in meeting people who enjoy travel or getting travel information, you may be able to do so without paying money to join a club.

Other places to learn about vacation destinations and meet people who love to travel include colleges – look for noncredit courses – as well as libraries and travel shows.

Have you ever joined a senior travel club? Why did you join? How did things work out? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

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Sixty and Me is a community of over 500,000 women over 60 founded by Margaret Manning. Our editorial team publishes articles on lifestyle topics including fashion, dating, retirement and money.

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20 Life Lessons from a Life of Travel

Before the world abruptly stopped and travel was put on hold, I had been travelling for the last eight years. My lessons from travel span an entire memoir.

I started a blog back in 2012 as a way to document my journey and before I knew it, writing about my travels has become my career.

I’m from a normal upbringing but my life these past eight years has been anything but normal. I’ve been climbing mountains in Pakistan , learning how to make pastries in the basement of The Ritz in Paris, staying with Buddhist monks in Japan and too many more experiences to count.

These experiences have taught me more than I ever realised.

That is, until now.

Home is wherever feels good

After eight years of living out of a suitcase, I finally decided last year that it was time to “move home”. But where exactly is home, when you’ve spent so much time away from it?

I bought a house, renovated it, and promptly realised the childhood town I grew up in did not feel like home anymore. Firstly, because I’d met a man in the Okavango Delta who I would later move to South Africa with. Secondly, because I had grown and changed so much since my departure, that my normal wasn’t so normal anymore .

The truth is, home is wherever feels good.

It is easier now than ever to live in a new country. If you feel up for it, give it a try. Nothing is stopping you but yourself.

Experiences are better investments than things

Has anyone ever told you not to buy a new car because of devaluation? The same could be said about new handbags, designer clothes, and keeping up with interior design trends.

Experiences are investments that pay more in life gains than possessions ever will.

Sometimes you need a trip to grow, find yourself, or find answers you’ve been looking for. Why not take one of these life-changing trips .

Some trips that shaped who I am include: renting a van and driving around New Zealand , 10 days in Pakistan and every single solo trip of self-discovery .

Money does not equal happiness

Growing up in a privileged country, I was conditioned to believe that money = happiness. How wrong I was. Having met people from all over the world who have much less than the average westerner locked into a mortgage, suffice it to say they are much happier than their counterparts.

What is it then, that warrants happiness?

Acceptance of your reality. Simplicity in all things. The gift of giving.

Quality trumps quantity

So the old saying goes; quality trumps quantity. The same is true in light of travel. The more you travel, the more you start to realise those snippets of a new city, country or culture aren’t quite enough.

The further you travel, the less you want to.

You realise it is better to know a place – like really know a place – instead of just know how to ride the metro. The more I explore, the deeper I want to get to know a place.

Gone are the days of my late teens country-hopping around Europe. I’d rather move into an apartment in Berlin for a few months or pack up my life and move to Cape Town.

Learning a new language

Growing up in an English speaking nation, learning a new language was not a necessity nor was it easy. Living in Australia leaves you isolated from foreign languages, cultures and traditions.

Travel is an easy way to break that cycle.

From German to French and a hint of Afrikaans, over the years it has become easier to learn the basics to communicate in foreign languages.

If you are eager to learn, try these language courses .

You learn to stop caring what people think of you

What is it about travel that forces you to leave your inhibitions at home? I can hardly remember my pre-travel self who was insecure, shy, and fearful of what others would think of me.

The woman I have become would not have been possible without travel. Without encountering strangers, meeting local heroes and discovering that everyone has a story to be told.

I care less now about what anyone thinks of me, despite having created a career where I live online. I’m susceptible to criticism on a daily basis but I’ve learned that if you don’t stand for something, you believe anything.

Own up to your mistakes

Another one of my life lessons from travel has been to admit my wrongs. Granted, I’m still working on this as we are often the last to admit our wrongs.

But who was responsible for catching a train from Munich that was westbound instead of heading East toward Budapest? Me. Whose job is it to fix the mistake? Mine.

Travel forces you to make mistakes and this makes it easier to own up to them. Especially travelling alone – no one is responsible for your mistakes but yourself.

You learn how to problem solve

Not only do you learn to own up to your mistakes, but you learn how to problem-solve as a knee jerk reaction.

Wrong train? Get off at the next stop and start again.

Booked a plane ticket for the wrong date? You’ll need to talk your way out of those change fees.

Mugged on the streets and suddenly your cash flow is halved? Time to start budgeting and cutting your expenses in half, too.

What is important in your life

After spending so much time alone exploring foreign lands, I’ve learned to value human connection and community more than anything else in my life.

As a Virgo who loves her alone time, I’m more than comfortable being on my own. I have however learned that too much time alone is not good for me – because what is life without human connection, interaction, and mutual dependence?

The more you learn, the less you know

The further I travel, the more I learn – or so I used to believe. The truth is, with all my prejudices and a Western mentality, the more I travel the less I actually know for sure.

The more I travel, the more I learn. But the more I learn, the less I know for sure.

I’ve been forced to question what the media tells us, how stories are spun for traction, and just face straight out lies.

Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness

I used to think being vulnerable was a weakness.

However being vulnerable is being yourself. After years of travel and meeting so many people the world over, I’ve come to realise that there is no greater power than just being yourself .

Being your most authentic self is a weight off your shoulders as you never have to try prove anything, you just are. This gives you all the time and power back to work on what really matters to you.

Books are just as much of an escape

Sometimes you just can’t escape. Whether you’re stuck in the office or have used your holidays for the year, often we have the urge to go somewhere but we just can’t yet.

I have found over the years that books provide just as much of an escape. Hence, launching my book club for travellers .

You don’t have to know someone a long time for a deep connection

Some of my greatest connections with people have been accomplished in a day – some even less.

You don’t need to know someone for a long time to have a deep connection with them. You can connect in such a life-changing way with someone who tells you just what you need to hear at the right time you need to hear it.

You can travel without leaving home

Now more than ever, I’m learning there are some great ways to travel and fulfil my wanderlust without leaving home. Whether it be trying a new recipe from a foreign cuisine you love or virtually visiting a museum, there are some great ways to travel without leaving home. Here are my favourites .

You learn to invest in yourself

While we’ve already learned that experiences are a better investment than things, only in recent years did I learn to invest in myself.

Whether it be learning how to make French pastries in a kitchen basement in Paris or investing in life-changing books on entrepreneurship , the greatest investment is yourself. If you never stop learning, you never stop growing.

Long-distance works if you want it to

I’ve had a few different experiences with long distance relationships after 8 years living out of a suitcase. Some have worked and some haven’t.

The truth is, long-distance works if you want to. It’s like any other relationship – you make sacrifices, you make it work. This is one of the lessons from travel I’d rather not admit to – but we can only learn from our mistakes.

Silence speaks as loud as words

Travel has a way of bringing out the best and worst in people. Unfortunately, the good comes with the bad and we have to learn to deal with it.

In travelling with my partner more recently, I’ve learned that silence speaks as loud as words. Sometimes not saying anything really says it all.

Travel is really just about perception

The old saying goes: you see what you want to see.

Travel and your experience abroad really come down to perception. Had a bad day? It could be worse. Life on the road will throw you many curveballs but is all about how you deal with them. Choose to be positive. Opt to be optimistic. If you want to have a great experience, you will.

Your twenties are practically made for travel

I used to be scared by that window of time between living with my family I grew up with and creating my own. But the truth is, this window of time is the perfect opportunity to go out on our own and discover ourselves for the better.

I used to be scared by that window of time between living with my family I grew up with and creating my own.

I never would have shaped my own world view without taking this time to go out on my own. Just because my parents taught me a certain way of living, doesn’t mean I need to follow it. Sure, I will always hold dear the way I was brought up to see the world – but I had to go out and add my own flavour to it.

You won’t always be alone so enjoy the solitude

After spending a lot of time alone, human connection becomes more and more desirable. But the truth is, you won’t always have this time to yourself. You won’t always be able to be selfish. To choose yourself. And to do all the things you want to do and skip all the things you do not. Enjoy the time in your life where you can be alone. It won’t always be this way.

Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.

Find me on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Travel Club

As University of Rochester students know from the first moments they step onto campus, our world is wondrous place. As we strive to better understand and appreciate our planet and its people, travel is the ultimate, lifelong educator. Join fellow alumni, parents, friends, and our University hosts to explore the world as a part of the University of Rochester Travel Club!

Antarctica Discovery

January 11-22, 2024

Join this truly life-changing adventure to experience the boundless beauty and pristine vastness of Antarctica. This remote continent and its precarious waterways have hosted some of the most courageous explorers in history, and have been the scenes of both triumph and tragedy since Captain Cook first sailed the region in 1773. Cruise through the Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands amid the Antarctic Peninsula—exploring the dramatic landscapes and remarkable wildlife that call this continent home.

Activity Level: Moderate (3/5) – This program offers a variety of activities, including shore excursions, open-air, inflatable Zodiac raft cruises, hikes on uneven, slippery terrain, boarding and disembarking watercraft of various sizes, and unpredictable motion from the movement of the ship.

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Havana: The Afro-Cuban Experience | February 23 – March 1, 2024

February 23 – March 1, 2024

Journey off the beaten path to natural wonders and engage in the bustling local life of Japan’s busiest cities — this well-crafted, 13-day, small group tour features urban and pastoral highlights across Japan. Experience Tokyo, Japan’s largest city, take in the iconic beauty of Mt. Fuji, cruise on scenic Ashi Lake, unwind overnight in a traditional ryokan inn, travel by express train to Takayama in the Japanese Alps, and get hands-on cultural experiences with traditional tea ceremonies and cooking classes. Japan’s breathtaking blend of modernity and tradition offers experiences that are hard to find anywhere else in the world.

Activity Level: Moderate-Active (4/5) – This trip involves full days of sightseeing and significant amounts of walking on stairs, uneven surfaces, and uphill, and boarding and disembarking a motorcoach.

Do you have to be a University of Rochester graduate to travel with the UR Travel Club?

We welcome anyone interested in traveling with us, not just alumni! While most travelers are alumni, many are friends of the University, faculty/staff, parents, and guests.

How do I make a trip reservation?

Contact the travel company listed on the trip page registration link. Please remember to notify the travel company that you are with the University of Rochester Travel Club.

Antarctica + Italy: Orbridge (866) 639-0079 Havana: AHI Travel (800) 323-7373 Japan: Odysseys Unlimited (888) 370-6765

What if there is a wait list?

We recommend that you add your name to a wait list – cancellations happen! To add your name to the list, follow the reservation process listed for the tour.

How do I cancel my reservation?

To cancel your trip reservation, please contact the tour operator directly. The tour operator will confirm your cancellation and process your refund if a refund is due to you, and notify the UR Travel Club.

What is included in the price?

Trip prices are per person, usually based on double occupancy. Airfare is sometimes included, and is indicated in the tour price listing. Single supplements may apply for single travelers. Many tour prices include some or all necessary tipping and baggage handling, but be sure to check the materials and terms and conditions supplied by the tour operator when making a reservation.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend that all participants purchase travel insurance to ensure coverage in case of illness, injury, medical evacuation, delay, or unforeseen emergency. For your convenience, University of Rochester has a partnership with Meyer & Associates to provide travel insurance to our travelers. Learn more about individual protection plans and travel medical insurance available through Meyer & Associates before you take your next trip with us, or on your own. After making a reservation for a trip, you will receive insurance information with your confirmation materials. Please note that travel insurance is open to all University of Rochester community members including alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and friends.

What is the typical tour group size?

This varies based on the tour’s abilities and requirements. Most are capped at 20-24 passengers, with some special tours for smaller groups.

What are the physical requirements for trips?

UR Travel Club trips are designed for people in good health who are comfortable participating in physical activities as part of a group. Many of the sites we visit have very limited access for those with impaired mobility. The each tour webpage contains activity level and accessibility information.

Will we have free time within the itinerary?

The tours we schedule are planned with busy itineraries of group experiences, with some free time to explore the area on your own, or to rest in your accommodations. Tour directors and local guides are usually ready to offer suggestions of places to dine or do some sight-seeing.

Please contact Lindsay Chassé, associate director of lifelong learning at [email protected] .

Leave the beaten path.

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A Life of Travel

A Life of Travel commits to sharing the most stunning locations on Earth with you. We will make your vacation unique, exhilarating, and picturesque. When booking a trip with our boutique adventure travel organization, you’re signing up for an experience that is superior to ordinary travel tours. Your knowledgeable and personable guides offer extensive familiarity of and exclusive access to your travel destination. The hotels and local amenities are well-vetted to ensure your safety and comfort, while remaining unconfined to the ordinary destinations. As one traveler said, “We weren’t just off the beaten path…we made our own!” Owner and lead guide, Thomas Kokta, is a photographer who loves to travel and to teach, ensuring that you’ll return with beautiful images to memorialize your adventures.  You do NOT have to bring a "big camera" - some of our guests bring none, and just enjoy the experience!

If you would like more information on our organization or any upcoming trips, we are available to answer your questions. Feel free to contact us anytime. We look forward to the opportunity to travel with you and hope you’ll join us soon.

Thomas Kokta, Founder

A Life of Travel sums up Thomas Kokta’s endeavors for the past two decades. Born and raised in Germany, Thomas caught the travel bug during his college years, after a stint as a student in the U.S. convinced him that he wanted to see more of this big, big world. His notable outdoor adventures include a 220 mile hike along the John Muir trail, summiting such mountains as McKinley in Alaska, Aconcagua in Argentina, Kilimanjaro in Africa, and an attempt at Mount Everest (alas, he only got to 26,000 ft). Wanting others to see the amazing places he had seen, Thomas began taking photographs as a way to share his wild world with family and friends. Thomas’s images have been recognized time and again, most recently by Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards, Travel Photographer of the Year, International Color Awards and Black and White Spider Awards. Thomas’s images are also sold through several stock agencies, including Getty Images and Masterfile. You can see more about Thomas' photography here:

http://www.thomaskoktaphotography.com/

Always seeking new challenges and adventures, Thomas switched gears from a wild life of mountain climbing and various outdoor activities in search of new landscapes and wildlife all over the world. Whether trying to stay warm in -40° F temperatures to photograph polar bears, braving rough seas to seek out great white sharks, or sweating it out on the African savanna, Thomas always appreciates how fortunate he is to travel, and observe the wonders of the world. Wanting to share his experiences with others, Thomas began conducting tours to those regions he travels to frequently and has an in-depth knowledge of. Thomas looks forward to traveling the world with you!

See more Polar tours on our partner site: PolarHolidays.com

“Once again, thanks very much for a great trip Thomas! Since I’ve returned to Portugal I’ve told my friends stories about bears, cubs, salmon and the great adventure that our trip was! It really was amazing!”

-  Susana from Portugal

“Thomas showed me a side of Iceland that not many visitors get to experience. We weren’t just off the beaten path…we made our own path! This was no ordinary tour, this was an opportunity to truly experience a country and its people and to find the beauty beyond the the boundaries of our guide books. He has an intimate relationship with the places he visits as you can see through his stunning photography. To see the world through his lens is a true gift and I would recommend a trip with him to anyone.”

-  Danielle from USA

“Thomas, you did a great job on our trip to Alaska! You made me feel welcome (that’s important as people travel and aren’t sure what’s next – a welcome is reassuring). I thought you were exceptionally patient with all of us. You taught me about exposure compensation and shooting at f8, f9, f10 to get more depth of field, something I rarely do. A fun/productive trip!"

-  Kathy from USA

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Travel Lifestyle Club, where your travel dreams become reality.

Welcome to Travel Lifestyle Club Agency, where your travel dreams come to life! Founded by avid travellers and fuelled by a deep passion for creating unforgettable experiences, we are here to help you fulfil your wanderlust and turn your travel dreams into reality.

At TLC Agency, we are more than just a travel booking website – we are your dedicated partners in crafting extraordinary journeys. Powered by the best in the travel industry, we have the expertise to assist you with every aspect of your travel adventure. Whether you're seeking a relaxing package holiday, exclusive access to airport lounges, a luxurious cruise, a magical Lapland experience, or anything in between, we've got you covered!

What sets us apart is our team of trained travel agents, each with a shared love for exploration and years of combined experience in the travel industry. If you can’t find exactly what you want on our website, just get in touch! They are ready to assist you in creating your dream trip, offering personalised service, excellent knowledge and unrivalled access. From well-known tour operators and travel brands to unique boutique and bespoke partners, we have access to a diverse range of options to suit your preferences.

Our winning formula combines our mutual love for all things travel with our extensive experience, ensuring that you receive not only fabulous service but also excellent pricing. As proud members of

ABTA (P8607) powered by TGTA, we prioritize the protection of your holiday. When booking with us, you can have confidence knowing that your travel is in good hands.

Why wait to turn your travel aspirations into reality? Contact us today by email or WhatsApp, and let us create a personalized quote for your next adventure. Whether you're embarking on a solo journey, a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a group expedition, Travel Lifestyle Club Agency is your trusted companion in making your travel dreams an exciting and unforgettable experience.

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We are a Member of ABTA (Number P8607) which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. We provide financial protection for your money when you buy a package holiday. If you buy other travel arrangements such as accommodation only this protection doesn’t apply.

When you book with an ABTA Member you can expect high service standards, fair terms of trading and accurate information. ABTA’s strict joining criteria for Members, code of conduct, customer helpline and complaints resolution scheme are all there to give you confidence and peace of mind when booking your travel arrangements. For more information contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ,

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Many of the flight and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our  booking conditions  for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate  www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

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The Rick Steves guide to life

Travel mogul. philanthropist. legal weed champion. the real rick steves is so much more complex than who you see on tv..

EDMONDS, Wash. — At first glance, it is hard to tell that Rick Steves is protesting.

In the center of his hometown, America’s favorite travel host is perched on the edge of a fountain roundabout engaging in some friendly civil disobedience. As cars circle the intersection, Steves smiles and waves, looking more like an Elf on a Shelf than an angry picketer. This is his way of reminding people he wishes they’d stop driving here.

Steves’s family moved to Edmonds when he was 12, and the 68-year-old is still happy to call it home. Rather than relocate to his beloved Europe, he dreams of bringing some European sensibilities to the edge of the Puget Sound, less than 20 miles north of Seattle.

When he’s not traveling around Europe, writing about Europe or running his multimillion dollar European tour company, the prolific TV host and author likes to squeeze in some local activism. The roundabout routine is his push to block off Edmonds’s very American Main Street for pedestrians. If you squint at it, you can see what Steves sees: this would be the perfect place for a lively town square.

“I like a lot of things about Europe but I love the urban energy of Europe. I love the piazza,” Steves said in a wistful tone you might recognize from PBS. “We don’t have a piazza.”

Unfortunately for Steves, the voting majority of the city does not love the idea of parking their SUVs farther away to shop. So despite his Boy Scout enthusiasm, the most famous man in Edmonds must keep up the perch-and-wave. This is not his only crusade.

Spend any amount of time with Steves, and you’ll encounter a total ham who loves a zany bit. But if you ask him about serious issues like car-free zones, he’ll bring up other causes that are dear to him: affordable housing, supporting the arts, creating senior centers for the elderly to age with dignity.

He’s anti-Trump and pro-cannabis. He does not care if that is bad for business.

The average Rick Steves fan has likely missed this side of him. On TV they see an always-sunny history lover who makes going abroad feel approachable for the average American. That’s an incomplete picture, like thinking you know Paris because you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower on YouTube.

Meet him in Edmonds, and he’ll fill in the rest.

It may look like a lot of gallivanting, but being Rick Steves takes a lot of work.

He spends three months of the year overseas, researching, writing, recording, refining tours, updating guidebooks. If he’s not planning or producing content, he’s often doing promotional events across the United States. This year Steves is celebrating the 40th edition of his first book, “Europe Through the Back Door.” Over the course of his career, he’s built a privately held company that generates $120 million in revenue a year, published 110 books, filmed 12 seasons of “Rick Steves’ Europe” and produced more than 750 podcast episodes.

“It’s just like coordinating a three-ring circus,” Steves said.

That is: really fun, sort of exhilarating and extremely complicated. To pull this off, Steves does not observe the French 35-hour workweek. He’s a workhorse with a reputation for keeping a frenetic pace year-round.

“It’s more of an American work culture,” Amy Duncan, Steves’s communications director, told me. “He’s an unapologetic capitalist but he is also a socialist.”

He makes enough money to fly first class, but he only sits in economy, claiming he doesn’t mind being cramped.

“It never occurred to me that I’m suffering,” he said. “As long as I’ve got an aisle and a seat that reclines, I’m happy.”

Actually, Steves believes airlines should only have one class. It’s part of his egalitarian worldview. He’s also anti-points and anti-miles, refusing to sign up for airline loyalty programs because he believes they bully us into complicating our lives.

Steves also enforces a self-imposed “ carbon tax ” on his tour company, which takes more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. For every customer, Steves invests $30 to atone for emissions created by their flights between the United States and Europe. Last year, that added up to $1 million donated to a portfolio of organizations, Steves said.

“I don’t need to be a slave to the quarterly profit statement. I want to be around and profitable in 10 years from now in a world that you can travel in that’s stable,” Steves said. “This is a smart investment and it’s an ethical expense that I should pay for.”

Rick Steves will tell you he’s motivated by making money; the more he can earn, the more good he can do with it.

“Vicarious consumption, that’s one of my things,” Steves said.

After amassing a windfall from the 2001 George W. Bush tax cuts for high earners, Rick Steves donated $1 million to support the local symphony and performing arts center. In 2005, he used retirement savings to buy a 24-unit apartment complex for the local YWCA’s use as transitional housing for women and children. He figured he’d eventually sell the complex and live on the earnings. About a decade later, he changed his mind and donated the complex valued at $4 million.

He also gave more than $4 million to help build the Edmonds Waterfront Center, a vibrant gathering place for seniors where his daughter had her wedding in 2021. And he gave another $2 million for a similar center in the nearby city of Lynnwood, which broke ground in mid-April .

“Rick puts his money where his mouth is,” said Nancy Leson, a former Seattle Times food critic who used to let Steves’s daughter babysit her son. She’s appreciated his regular presence in the community, like hosting events for local politics at his house and shopping at the farmers market .

“He changed travel,” local resident Karen Howe said on her way into the Waterfront Center with a friend. She’s used Steves’s guidebooks for years. “He’s introduced us to places that most of us would never think of going.”

Rick Steves hasn’t won his piazza battle, but he has brought European touches to Edmonds. At the Rick Steves’ Europe headquarters, there’s an E.U. flag hanging from the mocha brick facade. And gargoyles that drain rainwater, just like at the Notre Dame cathedral.

“Gargoyles scare away evil spirits,” Steve points out, unable to suppress his inner tour guide.

Here Steves employs more than 100 people: editors, audio producers, tour specialists and cartographers such as Dave Hoerlein, his first employee. That’s excluding the fleet of guides and drivers he contracts across the pond to shepherd tour customers.

Inside, he bounds through a maze of cubicles, his neck craned forward, always at an eager pace. His 6-foot frame appears leaner than previous seasons of his life, but his signature look is familiar. No, not khakis and a button-down. That’s vintage Rick. These days, he wears dark jeans and a button-down, plus a thin scarf and leather sneakers.

During a day of meetings, Steves’s fjord-blue eyes lit up at the minutia of the business. He went over new maps with Hoerlein. He and longtime co-author Cameron Hewitt addressed problems like finding a “less glitzy” stop on the Amalfi Coast that’s not Sorrento. They discussed whether a place is worth visiting after it’s gotten too popular, and Steves indulged in some gallows humor.

“It’s going to be like holding the corpse of a loved one who just died,” he said.

His critics argue the “Rick Steves Effect” can turn a charming village, restaurant or museum into a tourist magnet. Matthew Kepnes, the travel writer behind the blog Nomadic Matt , points to the Swiss town Zermatt, which he says Steves put on the map, and has since dealt with overtourism . You’re bound to bump into groups with Rick Steves guidebooks in Italy’s increasingly crowded Cinque Terre.

Whether Steves is actually to blame for changing a place is up for debate. There are plenty of destinations he’s covered that haven’t been inundated with swarms of Americans (see also: Gdańsk).

Steves says he assesses whether a place wants tourism, if it can handle it gracefully. If they don’t or can’t, he may mention it but not promote it.

He has faith — maybe too much — that his clients share his values.

“Does [my work] change the personality of a town? It can. Am I a dramatic impact on Europe? No,” he said.

“There’s a handful of places I really promote aggressively that I’ve had a serious impact on, but otherwise ... my travelers are the kind of people that take only pictures and leave only footprints ... they’re good travelers.”

You don’t have to spend much time in Edmonds to see why Rick Steves never considered leaving.

The city — population roughly 42,000 — sits on a majestic inlet. You can get to a major international airport in about an hour. The community is so courteous, it has an “umbrella share” program in case people forget their own on a rainy day. As Steves walks around town, he greets people by name. He lives within walking distance to both his favorite diner and a pétanque court, the French answer to Italian bocce. He plays bongos at his church on Sundays.

In 1967, Richard “Dick” Steves moved the family here because he was worried about Rick Junior.

“I was hanging out with dangerous kids and going down the wrong trail,” Steves said. Seriously.

His dad, an Army veteran, got by in the upscale suburb as a piano technician and importer. When Steves was 14, his parents dragged him on a work trip to Europe to visit piano factories; it was a radical experience that sparked his lifelong passion for travel.

Back in Edmonds, Steves started teaching piano, eventually turning his savings into trips abroad of his own — not only to Europe, but Turkey, Nepal, Afghanistan. He went to college nearby, earning degrees in European history and business from the University of Washington, where he played in the Husky Marching Band.

After graduation, Steves figured he could keep up his routine: give piano lessons during the school year, then travel during the summer. He started teaching travel classes in the same recital hall where his piano students performed. This was back when there was no internet and few guidebooks to consult for trip planning.

The classes were a hit. At 25, Steves turned his lecture materials into a 180-page book, and self-published “Europe Through the Back Door,” in 1980.

Four years later, he hosted his first European minibus tour group, serving as both bus driver and guide.

His businesses have evolved — his bus tours now take up to 28 travelers, a number Steves says is a sweet spot between making the tour more affordable yet enjoyable for customers and profitable for the company. But his mission has remained the same: to be the best resource for European travel and help Americans travel better.

“I just focus on that and I love it,” he said. “It takes my life out of balance — which is not good — but it lets me do a lot of stuff that I believe in and that’s good.”

Steves has been open about the challenges of being a travel mogul. As built his empire, he was also raising a family. Being “married” to both took a toll. In 2010, Steves and his wife, Anne, divorced after 25 years of marriage.

Up the hill from his junior high, Rick Steves’s modest beige home offers a window into his many lives. There are family photos on the walls, from older relatives to his baby grandson, Atlas. He hosts political fundraisers on the sprawling deck. A painting of Kerala, India, nods to one of his favorite countries (people forget Steves did four editions of “Asia Through the Back Door”).

Next to his grand piano, there’s a stuffed creature that Steves calls his “Silver Fox” baring its teeth and wearing novelty sunglasses with cannabis leaves on the lenses — a nod to two of his interests: taxidermy and marijuana activism.

“It’s the civil liberties … it’s the racism … everything about it is wrong,” he said of keeping weed illegal.

As for the toothy fox, Steves doesn’t do typical souvenirs anymore, but he makes an exception for stuffed animals.

“The wooden shoes and the pewter Viking ships are so obvious,” he said. “I like to do something a little more organic and a little more striking and it takes me back there — I like it.”

He’s a very good piano player. He can also play the sousaphone and the trumpet — which he did regularly during the pandemic, performing taps for his neighbors at sunset.

Covid-19 was a nightmare for the travel business, but a miracle for Rick Steves’s love life.

After running in the same social circles for years, he and Shelley Bryan Wee, a prominent local bishop, started dating at the end of 2019. They had a lot in common. Both are progressive Lutherans. Both are divorced with adult children. But neither worked a typical 9-to-5, and one of them spent three months of the year in Europe.

Then lockdown happened. Steves, who couldn’t remember if he’d ever had dinner in the same place 10 nights in a row, spent 100 nights at the same table with Wee. It solidified their relationship.

“Shelley is a constant,” Steves said. He still struggles with the balancing act between work and love.

When the stars align and they’re both in Edmonds, Wee cooks, and Steves plays sous chef. They walk Jackson, Wee’s labradoodle, creating their own version of the passeggiata, Italy’s traditional evening stroll. They play table tennis before dinner.

When the world reopened, they started traveling together. They’ve made time for a few big vacations: a trip to Morocco, where they were caught in a windstorm that blew the windows out of their car; a luxury barge cruise through Burgundy, France, “that was embarrassingly expensive,” Steves confessed, followed by a week hiking in the Swiss Alps; and another hiking trip between remote lodges on Mont Blanc.

Before their first trip, Steves edited the contents of Wee’s suitcase, because packing light is part of his philosophy.

“What do you say?” she asked. “You’re talking to Rick Steves.”

Editing by Gabe Hiatt. Additional editing by Amanda Finnegan. Design editing by Christine Ashack. Photo editing by Lauren Bulbin. Videos by Monica Rodman. Senior video producer: Nicki DeMarco. Design by Katty Huertas. Copy editing by Jamie Zega.

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Forget the beach: How you can experience the real Maldives

I was on a boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean, about to taste real life in the Maldives .

A crew of fishermen from Sun Siyam Iru Veli, located in the Dhaalu Atoll, set up the fishing lines. We were anchored off the shores of the nearby local island Bandidhoo, where people fish tuna for money and smaller reef fish for their tables. 

The task seemed simple enough: bait attached to a hook tied to the end of a fishing line, which I was to hold by hand. As the line dropped to the reef, I was to wait for the feel of a fish nibbling on the bait. Then I’d just pull the line by hand, and voilà: a catch. No poles or spears required. 

Long-line fishing is a generations-old tradition in the Maldives, a way of life for its people. Living in an island nation where not much grows, Maldivians sustain themselves off of fish and coconuts. Not only is it an ancient practice, but long-line fishing is sustainable, taking just a few fish at a time with minimal damage to coral reefs or bycatch. 

I quickly learned that I was not a natural long-line fisher. For the next hour, I mistook the moving current for a gullible fish when I was actually the gullible one. Other times, the fish was stealthy enough to take the bait without me feeling anything at all. 

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Instead, I watched the fishermen work their magic. The line danced in their hands, flying up and down. Sensitive to the slightest movement going on 65 feet underwater, they knew the exact moment to start pulling the line up and win the battle against the fish. 

As the sun set over the water, we caught a total of nine fish, including emperor fish, batfish and humpback snapper. 

Although the rest of the fish went to the fishermen to enjoy at home, one snapper would make a reappearance the following day. For lunch, I enjoyed the red snapper, grilled to perfection and sliced raw into sashimi. 

While the Maldives is renowned as a romantic, luxurious destination where people can enjoy the sunshine, soft white sand and gentle lapping turquoise waters, it’s also packed with history and culture. While everyone should spend some time relaxing at the beach , the atoll nation offers way more for travelers to do – and learn more about life in the Maldives. 

Like most things in the Maldives, most activities are unfortunately pricey, especially since booking through a resort is pretty much your only option.

Long-line fishing is just the beginning. Here are eight other activities in the Maldives beyond simply lounging on the beach.

Go fish, Maldivian-style

Sunset fishing was hands-down my favorite excursion in the Maldives. Watching the fishermen in action was exhilarating, even though I couldn’t get the long line fishing down myself. Partaking in the ancient fishing tradition was a peek into real Maldivian life – and against the most gorgeous of backdrops: the sun setting over the ocean. To pick which fish to eat the next day and how it would be prepared made the experience extra rewarding.  

Check out the marine life

The Maldives is rich in marine biodiversity. Guests can snorkel and dive with whale sharks in southern waters and alongside manta rays in the north. At Sun Siyam Iru Veli, I went on an afternoon snorkeling tour, a 20-minute boat ride from the resort, and swam along the reef, an uninhabited island. Dropping about 100 feet, the reef was overflowing with marine life. I spotted a plethora of tropical reef fish along with three Hawksbill turtles – the most common type in the Maldives – and a white-tip reef shark. 

Even on resort grounds, travelers have plenty of opportunities to easily witness marine life – I spotted a pod of dolphins swim past me on my sunset fishing excursion and baby reef sharks around the shoreline by my villa at Sun Siyam Iru Veli in the mornings. 

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Explore the ocean … at night

Most resorts in the Maldives also have a house reef, where colorful clownfish and triggerfish swim around anemones and soft coral. At Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, guests can request a nighttime snorkeling activity, where they dive in after the sun sets to see the reef in another light, literally. 

The gear was simple. I slipped an orange filter over my snorkel mask, secured with a band, to eliminate the fluorescence caused by my blue light flashlight. This light source would make all the difference, as the soft coral and anemones absorbed the blue light, casting neon greens and reds back. The bright red anemones swayed in the dark and soft coral glowed, showcasing intricate brain-like textures and patterns not noticeable in daylight. 

Help restore some coral

Coral reefs play a critical role in the very existence of the Maldives; without them, the islands would be damaged by strong waves. Maldivians also rely on the fish from reefs for their livelihoods. Guests can participate in coral restoration alongside on-staff marine biologists at multiple Sun Siyam Resorts with coral planting. In this activity, I fastened coral fragments to a metal frame that’s later placed in the ocean to hopefully regrow and thrive. 

Visit a local island 

Sun Siyam Resorts offers travelers the chance to get off the resort island and witness everyday life for Maldivians. Guests can sign up for a local island tour, which takes them to a local fishing village to meet community members and see the school and local shops. I went on a local farm tour, where I got to see how some of the produce, such as papaya, that’s served in the resorts are grown. 

Watersports galore

In the Maldives, the ocean is the main attraction. Siyam World Maldives way offers more than the typical jetskis, paddleboards and kayaks. Guests of all ages can clamber around on the Indian Ocean’s biggest floating waterpark, made up of inflatable obstacles. There are also electric surfboards, kite surfing, banana boats and underwater jetpacks. I rented a seabob, a diving scooter that let me glide up and down underwater like a dolphin at up to 13 miles per hour. It was a strange sensation, but definitely took snorkeling to the next level. 

Visit an uninhabited private island

Over 83% of the Maldives’ 1,192 islands are uninhabited, allowing travelers to bask in unspoiled tropical landscapes. At Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, I was able to enjoy untouched nature and be the only present human there. Sun Siyam Iru Fushi and its sister resort, Siyam World, also share a small private island where only palm trees exist (and a restroom facility, so don’t worry about that). Guests can book the private island for picnics and photoshoots, which willand it’ll be exclusively theirs for the entire time. During the picnic, staff set up a tent for respite from the afternoon sun and served lunch and even champagne. No roughing it here.

Learn more about Maldivian culture

Every Friday night at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Maldivian staff share a piece of their culture with guests through traditional song and dance – of course, guests are invited to learn the dance, too. In Boduberu , dancers move energetically to the beat of coconut drums and folk singing. The dancing style is said to have come from African sailors who reached the Maldives many centuries ago, and is typically performed at special occasions and celebrations. The resort also offers cooking classes, where guests can learn how to make traditional Maldivian dishes, and free workshops such as making your own coconut oil, a staple product for cooking in the country. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Life on Other Planets: What is Life and What Does It Need?

One day, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, a faraway planet could yield hints that it might host some form of life – but surrender its secrets reluctantly.

Our space telescopes might detect a mixture of gases in its atmosphere that resembles our own. Computer models would offer predictions about the planet’s life-bearing potential. Experts would debate whether the evidence made a strong case for the presence of life, or try to find still more evidence to support such a groundbreaking interpretation.

“We are in the beginning of a golden era right now,” said Ravi Kopparapu, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who studies habitable planets. “For the first time in the history of civilization we might be able to answer the question: Is there life beyond Earth?”

For exoplanets – planets around other stars – that era opens with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Instruments aboard the spacecraft are detecting the composition of atmospheres on exoplanets. As the power of telescopes increases in the years ahead, future advanced instruments could capture possible signs of life – “biosignatures” – from a planet light-years away.

Within our solar system, the Perseverance rover on Mars is gathering rock samples for eventual return to Earth, so scientists can probe them for signs of life. And the coming Europa Clipper mission will visit an icy moon of Jupiter. Its goal: to determine whether conditions on that moon would allow life to thrive in its global ocean, buried beneath a global ice shell.

But any hints of life beyond Earth would come with another big question: How certain could any scientific conclusions really be?

“The challenge is deciding what is life – when to say, ‘I found it,’” said Laurie Barge of the Origins and Habitability Lab at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

With so much unknown about what even constitutes a “sign of life,” astrobiologists are working on a new framework to understand the strength of the evidence. A sample framework, proposed in 2021, includes a scale ranging from 1 to 7, with hints of other life at level 1, to increasingly substantial evidence, all the way to certainty of life elsewhere at level 7. This framework, which is being discussed and revised, acknowledges that scientific exploration in the search for life is a twisted, winding road, rather than a straightforward path.

And identifying definitive signs remains difficult enough for “life as we know it.” Even more uncertain would be finding evidence of life as we don’t know it, made of unfamiliar molecular combinations or based on a solvent other than water.

Still, as the search for life begins in earnest, among the planets in our own solar system as well as far distant systems known only by their light, NASA scientists and their partners around the world have some ideas that serve as starting points.

Life That Evolves

First, there’s NASA’s less-than-formal, non-binding but still helpful working definition of life: “A self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution.” Charles Darwin famously described evolution by natural selection, with characteristics preserved across generations leading to changes in organisms over time.

Derived in the 1990s by a NASA exobiology working group, the definition is not used to design missions or research projects. It does help to set expectations, and to focus debate on the critical issues around another thorny question: When does non-life become life?

“Biology is chemistry with history,” says Gerald Joyce, one of the members of the working group that helped create the NASA definition and now a research professor at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.

That means history recorded by the chemistry itself – in our case, inscribed in our DNA, which encodes genetic data that can be translated into the structures and physical processes that make up our bodies.

The DNA record must be robust, complex, self-replicating and open-ended, Joyce suggests, to endure and adapt over billions of years.

“That would be a smoking gun: evidence for information having been recorded in molecules,” Joyce said.

Such a molecule from another world in our solar system, whether DNA, RNA or something else, might turn up in a sample from Mars, say from the Mars sample-return mission now being planned by NASA.

Or it might be found among the “ocean worlds” in the outer solar system – Jupiter’s moon, Europa, Saturn’s Enceladus or one of the other moons of gas giants that hide vast oceans beneath shells of ice.

We can’t obtain samples of such information-bearing molecules from planets beyond our solar system, since they are so far away that it would take tens of thousands of years to travel there even in the fastest spaceships ever built. Instead, we’ll have to rely on remote detection of potential biosignatures, measuring the types and quantities of gases in exoplanet atmospheres to try to determine whether they were generated by life-forms. That likely will require deeper knowledge of what life needs to get its start – and to persist long enough to be detected.

A Place Where Life Emerges

There is no true consensus on a list of requirements for life, whether in our solar system or the stars beyond. But Joyce, who researches life’s origin and development, suggests a few likely “must-haves.”

Topping the list is liquid water. Despite a broad spectrum of environmental conditions inhabited by living things on Earth, all life on the planet seems to require it. Liquid water provides a medium for the chemical components of life to persist over time and come together for reactions, in a way that air or the surface of a rock don’t do as well.

Also essential: an energy source, both for chemical reactions that produce structures and to create “order” against the universal tendency toward “disorder” – also known as entropy.

An imbalance in atmospheric gases also might offer a tell-tale sign of the presence of life.

“In Earth’s atmosphere, oxygen and methane are highly reactive with each other,” Kopparapu said. Left to themselves, they would quickly cancel each other out.

“They should not be seen together,” he said. “So why are we seeing methane, why are we seeing oxygen? Something must be constantly replenishing these compounds.”

On Earth, that “something” is life, pumping more of each into the atmosphere and keeping it out of balance. Such an imbalance, in these compounds or others, could be detected on a distant exoplanet, suggesting the presence of a living biosphere. But scientists also will have to rule out geological processes like volcanic or hydrothermal activity that could generate molecules that we might otherwise associate with life.

Careful laboratory work and precision modeling of possible exoplanet atmospheres will be needed to tell the difference.

Going Through Changes

Barge also places high on the list the idea of “gradients,” or changes that occur over time and distance, like wet to dry, hot to cold, and many other possible environments. Gradients create places for energy to go, changing along the way and generating molecules or chemical systems that later might be incorporated into life-forms.

Plate tectonics on Earth, and the cycling of gases like carbon dioxide – buried beneath Earth’s crust by subduction, perhaps, or released back into the atmosphere by volcanoes – represent one kind of gradient.

Barge’s specialty, the chemistry of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor billions of years ago, is another. It’s one possible pathway to have created a kind of primitive metabolism – the translation of organic compounds into energy – as a potential precursor to true life-forms.

“What gradients existed before life?” she asks. “If life depends so much on gradients, could the origin of life also have benefited from these gradients?”

Clearer mapping of possible pathways to life ultimately could inform the design of future space telescopes, tasked with parsing the gases in the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets.

“If we want to be sure it’s coming from biology, we have to not only look for gases; we have to look at how it’s being emitted from the planet, if it’s emitted in the right quantities, in the right way,” Kopparapu said. “With future telescopes, we’ll be more confident because they’ll be designed to look for life on other planets.”

Search for Life

This article is one in a series about how NASA is searching for life in the cosmos.

Beginnings: Life on Our World and Others

The Hunt for Life on Mars – and Elsewhere in the Solar System

'Life' in the Lab

Searching for Signs of Intelligent Life: Technosignatures

Finding Life Beyond Earth: What Comes Next?

Related Terms

• Terrestrial Exoplanets
• The Search for Life

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Breaking news, a bubblegum pop song from ’90s group s club 7 saved my life.

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Of all the ways a particularly horrible day at school could’ve ended, the very last thing I imagined was my life being saved by a cheesy late ’90s bubblegum pop song.

But there I was, in mum’s Toyota Corolla Seca, watching with bewilderment as she cranked the volume on an S Club 7 cassette single that she’d bought especially with me in mind.

When I was a kid, the family car wasn’t just a means of getting from A to B, but a kind of karaoke joint on wheels.

And growing up in regional Queensland, in a town most wouldn’t have heard of, meant we were in that white compact mean machine a lot, whether it was driving to the town an hour up the road to go shopping or taking off on a family road trip.

So, while it wasn’t unusual for mum to blare music and screech along enthusiastically to the words, a group like S Club 7 wasn’t in her regular rotation.

Her taste comprised songs that I would’ve considered to be “oldies” from an almost unimaginable era in the distant past – the 1980s.

Hungry Eyes, Mony Mony and Footloose were among her favorites, as well as even bigger retro throwbacks like Big Girls Don’t Cry, It’s My Party and Walk Like a Man.

The year was 1999 and I was 14, in my second year of high school at an all-boys, NRL-mad Catholic school where footy was king and anyone who didn’t play it was a loser.

I liked to read and write, and I was skinny and dweeby with the physical co-ordination of a bean bag, so I copped it.

But added to that social status-killer, making me a prime target for boys trying to prove they were mean in the making, was the fact I was very clearly gay.

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I didn’t really know it or understand it. I certainly never said it out loud. But it was just about the worst thing you could be.

Tasmania had only just become the last Australian state to decriminalise homosexuality after an ugly and highly divisive campaign.

The tragic shadow of the devastating AIDS crisis still loomed large over perceptions of what it meant to be a gay man.

Hell, Ricky Martin was still straight at that point in time.

In many parts of the country, but particularly in the regions, being gay was a sure-fire way to be cast aside and to face intense bigotry.

For me, there was regular physical violence. There were daily relentless taunts. I had no friends and either hid in the bushes behind the library at lunch or lingered near my older brother and his group of mates, making them my unofficial bodyguards.

There were cruel pranks, like someone inking “Shannon Molloy loves c**k” on a whiteboard in permanent marker, filling my backpack with yogurt, or grabbing me and tying me to a tree so a mob of boys could take turns flogging me with a canoe paddle.

The worst by far came when someone penned an absurd but very graphic love letter to the footy captain, detailing all the things I’d love to do with him, and then signed my name at the bottom.

A teacher found it and read it to the class, word for word, including those final three words – “From Shannon Molloy”.

That’s the day I tried to take my own life at home, seeing no possible escape from my living hell and fearing that this horror was how things were always going to be.

I’d never be able to be my true, authentic self. I’d have to peer over my shoulder when walking down the street. I’d have to always be on guard.

And I certainly would never know what love is.

My mum, a single parent and the local hairdresser who worked tirelessly to keep a roof over our heads, was my constant support.

She’d storm into the principal’s office every other week when I came home with a bloodstained shirt or a black eye, or if she’d found me sobbing uncontrollably in my bedroom.

Mum tried to lift me up when I was hopelessly down and reassure me that I was going to be OK, that I’d get out of that town one day and show them all.

When she didn’t know what to say or how to say it, she turned to popular culture, innocently putting on movies where characters suffering extreme adversity would overcome it all.

On one particular afternoon, seeing that I was about as broken as I could be without falling apart completely, she sought help from seven British 20-somethings.

Assembled by mega music manager Simon Fuller after he was dumped by the Spice Girls, S Club 7 was initially designed to appeal to little kids.

They had a television show that was a modest hit in North America, with catchy, overly cheery, extremely positive and G-rated songs.

One of them, which rather unexpectedly went very mainstream, was Bring It All Back.

That’s the song mum put on, looking over at me with a wry smile as she did and giggling at my confused and somewhat horrified expression when the lyrics began.

“Don’t stop, never give up. Hold your head high and reach the top. Let the world see what you have got. Bring it all back to you.”

On “you”, she reached across and gently pointed her index finger at my chest.

She sang her heart out, having taught herself the words to each verse, until I joined in for what was an impassioned but tone-deaf duet.

“This is your song,” she told me breathlessly when it finished.

“It reminds me of you, Shan. Hold on to you. When they push you down, get back up. Don’t let them win. You’re an individual and that’s OK.

“Your time’s coming around, so don’t you stop trying.”

Some 35 years on, that song remains an anthem and a go-to on my Spotify playlist.

I listen to it when I’m sad or feeling uncertain about the world. I listen to it when I’m happy or in a silly mood. Sometimes I listen to it for no reason at all.

Whatever the occasion, every single time I hear it, I think of my mum and her sage borrowed advice decades earlier, at a time when I could see few reasons to carry on.

Bring It All Back is now the marquee song in a very congested soundtrack of kitsch and camp ’90s pop that features in a stage production based on that horrid year of my life when I was 14.

I wrote a book about my experiences of growing up gay in regional Queensland in the late 1990s, chronicling not just the hellish hardship, but also the glimmers of hope, kindness and love that got me through – the reasons I survived.

Fourteen  was turned into a stage production in 2022 for Brisbane Festival and was a sell-out smash hit. It’s now about to tour nationally.

Teenage me couldn’t imagine that his story would resonate so strongly – not just with queer people, but with parents and siblings who’ve had to step up for someone they love, for kids from broken homes, for those from a suffocating small town, and really, for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong.

He wouldn’t have dreamt of writing a book and then helping to create a heart-wrenching, inspiring and extremely fun play based on it.

And he never could’ve guessed that at the centre of it all was a nice, harmless but live-saving song called Bring It All Back.

Fourteen tours nationally, kicking off in Parramatta in Sydney on May 3 and taking in 20 other stops across the country. For details and tickets,  visit Shake and Stir Theatre Co’s website

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The ritz-carlton central park entices bleisure travelers with club lounge.

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The Club Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park meets the needs of bleisure travelers.

On a gray spring day, I sat near a large picture window inside the Club Lounge of The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park , watching tourists below filter into a leafless exapanse to wander the trails of Olmsted’s urban masterpiece. I’d been invited on business, which gave me the chance to tour the property’s rooms and amenities. A long time New Yorker, I had always thought of the city’s Ritz-Carlton properties as leaders in both tourism and business, but rarely blended. However, as I waited for the meeting to start, a colleague urged me to grab a quick lunch. I took a lap around the lounge buffet, a full spread of soups, sandwiches, salads, fruit, desserts, sodas, and Champagne, then settled in for an hour-long chat from a chartreuse-hued club chair with postcard views of the park. Naturally, I wasn’t the first to have a lightbulb moment: bleisure.

View of Central Park from The Ritz-Carlton

The Rise of Bleisure Travel

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted multiple industries in lasting ways, including travel, hospitality, and traditional work models. Though tourism numbers dropped precipitously during the pandemic, they’ve surged over the last 18 months during a time when hybrid or remote employment has been normalized and even expected. Naturally, this phenomenon has spurred various new initiatives, from countries luring digital nomads with remote work visas to hotels expanding their amenities to entice business guests.

A portmanteau of 'business' and 'leisure’, bleisure travel refers to fusion of leisure travel with business. This trend includes professionals extending their business trips to enjoy leisure pursuits, often staying at the same hotel for both work and tourism.

Research suggests that the bleisure niche is gaining in popularity and value. As GlobeNewswire reported , Allied Market Research estimates the global bleisure market was at $315.3 billion globally in 2022, but expects it to more than double to nearly $731.4 billion globally by 2032. That’s a compound annual growth (CAGR) rate of 8.9%. The growth is attributed to several factors such as a rise in demand for work-life balance, digital transformation in the travel industry, and an increase in the number of affordable hospitality services, the report states.

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La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

How The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Meets Bleisure Needs

From the hotel’s all-day ground floor gastro lounge Contour, to elegant rooms and suites, the property has long been a magnet for tourists looking to soak up the brand’s famous hospitality at a tony New York address. Though the hotel has 206 rooms, it feels like a boutique property, starting with the friendly welcome at the front door to the intimate lobby footprint.

Guest rooms, spacious by New York standards, borrow elements from New York’s history, both in layout and architectural details, while adding a touch of French style through décor and textiles. Pre-war layouts give rooms a bigger footprint, allowing for desks and seating areas for the bleisure traveler with a laptop and extra clothes or shoes.

For guests wrapping up meetings or looking to relax after a long flight, the hotel’s La Prairie Spa offers six treatment rooms for facials and therapeutic massages. A relaxation lounge and steam room add the finishing touch.

Where the hotel’s bleisure amenities shines, however, is the Club Lounge. The lounge offers an exclusive place to rest, relax, work and network. There are five daily food presentations that can be customized to meet any dietary restrictions. Additionally, there is a dedicated concierge to take care of all guest requests and needs, such as pressing items of clothing of which two are included, complimentary.

Asked about the bleisure market, Director of Sales & Marketing Megan Ferguson noted the hotel’s ideal location for this type of clientele. “Guests can easily unwind with a stroll through the iconic Central Park or take in the breathtaking views from their room. Our club lounge is a versatile space where bleisure guests can get down to business while enjoying the luxury surroundings,” Ferguson said.

"When it comes to attracting the bleisure market, New York City has that perfect mix of work and play. At The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, we've created an environment that caters to both. Our hotel evokes the feeling of a cozy, residential townhouse making it a welcome retreat after a busy day in the city,” they said.

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park , 50 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019

*Club Lounge costs an additional $450 per night for 2 people, on top of the room rate. During the holidays, it is an additional $650 per night for 2 people. The Club Lounge is available for all paying guests.

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The Walton family empire: Inside the lives of the billionaire Walmart heirs collectively worth more than Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos

• The Walmart heirs' combined net worth is roughly $240 billion, according to Bloomberg .
• In public, the Waltons live relatively modest lifestyles despite their wealth . 
• Here's how they spend their fortune.

The combined wealth of the Walmart heirs — which includes founder Sam Walton's children, Rob, Jim, and Alice, as well as his late son John's wife, Christy, and their son Lukas — is roughly $240 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index .

While some have worked in the family business — whether that's serving on the company board or working to manage the family's wealth — others chose to pursue areas of personal passion .

Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died.

He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now. Here's a look at how the Walton family empire spends its money: 

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962.

He married Helen Robson on Valentine's Day in 1942.

Together, they had four children: Rob, John, Jim, and Alice.

By the time Sam died in 1992, he had set up the company ownership in a way that minimized the estate taxes anyone on the receiving end would have to pay.

Source: Fortune

He set up his ownership of Walmart's stock in a family partnership — each of his children held 20% of Walton Enterprises, while he and Helen each held 10%. Helen inherited Sam's 10% tax-free when he died.

Samuel Robson "Rob" Walton is the oldest Walton child. He is 79 years old.

He served as chairman of Walmart from 1992 until 2015 and remained on the board after.

He's stepping down from the board at the end of his current term in 2024.

Rob made a splash in 2022 by leading an ownership group to buy the Denver Broncos.

The group purchased the NFL team for a $4.65 billion in summer 2022 in a record-breaking sale at the time.

Rob has purchased a house in Paradise Valley, Arizona, near the base of Camelback Mountain.

In the past, protesters have rallied outside of his Arizona home to advocate for better wages and benefits for Walmart workers.

Besides real estate, Rob has a large collection of vintage cars.

In 2013, he ran his Daytona Coupe, which was worth $15 million at the time, off the tracks and wrecked it. The car was one of only five ever made.

Sam Walton's second-oldest child, John Walton, died in a plane crash in 2005.

He was 58 years old.

He was married to Christy Walton and had one son, Lukas.

John left about 17% of his wealth to his wife, and he gave the rest to charity and to his son.

Source: Business Insider

John served in Vietnam as a Green Beret. When he returned from the war he held a series of jobs — like the Walmart company pilot, a crop duster, and the owner a few yachting companies — before becoming a Walmart board member.

In 2013, Christy decided to sell their Jackson Hole mansion. She also sold the family's ranch for an undisclosed price in 2016 after listing it for $100 million in 2011.

Source: Curbed and Ranch Marketing Associates

The 8,606-square-foot home was put on the market for $12.5 million.

Source: Curbed

James "Jim" Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He is 75 years old.

He is chairman of the board of the family's Arvest Bank Group. One of the state's largest banks today, Arvest Bank has assets totaling more than $27 billion.

Source: Bloomberg

He also served on the Walmart board, starting in 2005 to fill the vacancy after his brother John died. Jim Walton's son, Steuart, took over his father's seat on the board in 2016.

Now, he presides over Walton Enterprises — the private company that deals with the investments and finances of the Walton family only — from modest offices in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The youngest of founder Sam Walton's children, Alice Walton is worth $78.8 billion, according to Bloomberg. She has been divorced twice and has no children. She is 74 years old.

Alice has never taken an active role in running the family business.

Instead, she became a patron of the arts, which she fell in love with at a young age.

When she was 10, she bought her first work of art: a reproduction of Picasso's "Blue Nude" for about $2, she told The New Yorker.

Source:  The New Yorker

She has an immense private art collection, with original works from Andy Warhol and Georgia O'Keeffe. Alice opened a museum in Bentonville called Crystal Bridges in 2011 to house her $500 million private art collection.

When it opened, Crystal Bridges had four times the endowment of the famous Whitney Museum in New York.

The collection includes a Georgia O'Keeffe painting that Alice spent $44.4 million on in 2014 — the biggest sale for a woman's piece of art in history.

Source: The Observer

Alice also breeds horses.

Her Millsap, Texas, property, Rocking W Ranch, sold to the Three Amigos Investment Group of Kermit, Texas, in September 2017 for an undisclosed amount.

Source: Star-Telegram

It had an initial asking price of $19.75 million, which was reduced to $16.5 million. The working ranch had over 250 acres of pasture and outbuildings for cattle and horses.

Source:  WilliamsTrew

Her other, 4,416-acre Texas ranch was previously listed at a reduced price of $22 million.

The modest, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home overlooks the Brazos River.

Alice also bought a two-floor condo on New York's Park Ave. for $25 million in 2014.

It has more than 52 large windows overlooking Central Park plus a media room, a winding staircase, and more than 6,000 total square feet of space.

In January 2016, Alice donated 3.7 million of her Walmart shares — worth about $225 million at the time — to the family's nonprofit, the Walton Family Foundation.

Sam and Helen started the foundation as a way to teach their children how to give back and how to work together.

The charity awards millions of dollars in grants to causes that align with the foundation's values.

The foundation awarded $566.5 million in grants in 2022, according to its website .

The foundation has three main areas of focus:

The foundation's focus on education was led by John. His brother Jim said John was really interested in being able to give parents choices when it came to their child's schooling.

Source: Walton Family Foundation

Rob spearheaded the foundation's venture into environmental protection. One of the first grants they gave helped develop a sustainable fisheries label.

A commitment to the family's home of Arkansas is another large part of the foundation. The website says this area of focus is about "advancing our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta."

Walmart Inc., which owns Walmart and Sam's Club, is the largest retailer in the US in terms of revenue.

 In fiscal year 2023, Walmart reported $648.1 billion in revenue.

When Walmart has a good quarter, the Waltons make hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends.

Even though the Walton family is raking in billions as a result of the company's success, they remain relatively under-the-radar in terms of flashing their wealth — much like their patriarch, Sam, did in the early years.

• Walmart is testing higher starting salaries for some employees in 500 stores as the war for talent heats up
• What Walmart, Costco, and other famous retailers looked like when they first opened
• The average Amazon shopper still earns more than Walmart's, and it reveals a key challenge for the e-commerce giant
• Walmart's ad execs to know, hot DTC companies, iHeartMedia breaks hearts

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'Conan O'Brien Must Go' is side-splitting evidence of life beyond late night TV

Eric Deggans

Conan O'Brien dresses as a Viking in Norway. Conaco/Max hide caption

Conan O'Brien dresses as a Viking in Norway.

To be honest, when I first heard Conan O'Brien was ending his TV talk show in 2021, I assumed news that he might turn to variety shows and online programs to continue his career was some combination of face-saving and wishful thinking.

But after watching the four episodes of his new Max series Conan O'Brien Must Go , it's now obvious — even to a thickheaded critic like me — that leaving late night TV really was liberating for O'Brien. He's leveraged his unique sensibility into several different podcasts, a deal with Sirius XM , specials featuring other stand-up comics and now this travel series for Max — which resembles jokey specials he did for cable channel TBS back in the day.

And as the late night TV genre crumbles under sagging viewership and the decline of traditional media, O'Brien's renaissance also provides an example for the future — where fertile comedy minds and talented performers can spread their work over a much larger canvas.

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Is conan o'brien the best 'hot ones' guest ever discuss., learning a lesson from 'hot ones'.

O'Brien already made a splash recently with his brilliantly maniacal appearance on the interview-while-eating-hot-wings show Hot Ones , slobbering over hot sauces while claiming, as he was checked over by a fake doctor, that "I'm fine! I'm perfectly f*****g fine!"

This is the place where O'Brien shines — he's called it "this strange phantom intersection between smart and stupid" — and it's on full, freakish, super silly display in every episode of Conan O'Brien Must Go .

The conceit of the show is pretty simple. O'Brien heads overseas to visit average folks in Norway, Argentina, Thailand and Ireland who had once Zoomed in to speak with him on the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan . Sometimes the visits seem like a surprise — he catches one aspiring Norwegian rapper in shorts and Crocs after popping up on his doorstep — and others seem a bit more planned, including his visit to a radio show with about four listeners in Buenos Aires.

Each episode begins with a solemn monologue which sounds like it is delivered by the film world's most eccentric voice, German filmmaker and actor Werner Herzog (he's not credited in the show and when asked, a publicist at Max shared a quote from O'Brien: "I can neither confirm nor deny the voice in question.")

The torturous accent by "Herzog" makes every line sound absurdly hilarious, describing O'Brien as "the defiler ... with dull, tiny eyes ... the eyes of a crudely painted doll ... he scavenges in distant lands, uninvited, fueled by a bottomless hunger for recognition and the occasional selfie."

Now that's smart. And oh so stupid.

A funhouse mirror version of a travel show

O'Brien performs onstage with a fan in Norway Conaco/Max hide caption

O'Brien performs onstage with a fan in Norway

Fans of O'Brien's Conan Without Borders specials on TBS already know what his style is when he tackles a travel show — throwing himself into outrageous reactions and situations while working his quirky brand of improvised conversations with hapless bystanders.

In the Max series Conan O'Brien Must Go , that includes O'Brien offering screechy vocals onstage during a performance of a Norwegian emo/rap band. Or asking provocative questions of a couple therapist/sex expert. Or getting beat up in a "fight" with a 10-year-old boy in a bar.

It's all an excuse for O'Brien to unleash his energetic wit, taste for silly absurdity and skill at drawing laughs from sympathetic — if often befuddled — strangers. Whether you enjoy this special will depend on how you feel about O'Brien's style, which can feel a bit like the world's best class clown doing everything possible to make you crack a smile.

(Rent a family in Norway so they can say goodbye when he gets on a SeaCraft? Check. Get local artists to paint a mural of O'Brien, a soccer star and The Pope on the side of a building in Argentina? Double check.)

'Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend' Is A Joke Name For A Podcast — Sort Of

But what amazes in a larger sense is how O'Brien has turned his sensibility into a comedy brand to fuel work on many different platforms. And, at age 60, with more than 30 years as a comedy star, he's been released from the shackles of any genre to shine wherever he chooses — whether it's an episode of Hot Ones or a streaming service which sometimes looks like a collision between True Detective and 90 Day Fiancé .

Leaving late night TV as late night left him

I'm old enough that I started covering TV not long after O'Brien made his first move from the shadows of life as a comedy writer – he worked on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons — to succeed David Letterman in 1993 as host of NBC's show Late Night (now hosted by Seth Meyers). Back then, NBC gave O'Brien years to figure out the show, honing his smartly serious comedy in a way that would inspire then-teenage fans like Seth Rogen and Bill Hader .

O'Brien left NBC after a disastrous deal where the network tried to make him host of its venerated late night program The Tonight Show and also keep its former host Jay Leno at the network. He moved to a late night show on TBS in 2010, but even then, there was a sense that his creativity was a bit hemmed in by the format.

After 28 Quirky Years, Conan O'Brien Is Leaving Late Night

By the time he left his TBS show Conan for good, it seemed O'Brien was already caught in a trend which would hobble other late night shows — as young viewers consumed his content online and ratings on cable dropped.

Now, with a podcast and digital media company worth many millions and growing status as a TV comedy legend still willing to do almost anything for a laugh, O'Brien is proving there is a successful life beyond late night.

Particularly, if you have the talent to play the fool while leaving little doubt you're also the smartest person in the room.