Here are the ten travel stories that defined the year.

This global comparison looks at travel through the lens of access and contrast. By placing affordable destinations alongside some of the world’s most expensive places to visit, the story reveals how cost shapes experience and perception. It is practical, eye-opening, and quietly reflective about what we value when we travel.

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A hotel that blurs the line between hospitality and art. This piece explores Philippe Starck’s bold, unconventional approach to design, where interiors provoke curiosity and the building itself becomes part of the destination. It is a reminder that where we stay can shape how we experience a place.

A carefully curated collection of hotels where architecture, landscape, and atmosphere work in harmony. Rather than focusing solely on luxury, this story celebrates places that feel grounded in their surroundings and designed to inspire calm, wonder, and a sense of escape.

Japan’s tradition of family run businesses has created some of the longest lasting companies on the planet. We look at five of the oldest, which all hail from Japan.

A visual journey across Iceland’s dramatic terrain, from volcanic plains to mist-covered mountains. This piece captures the scale and raw beauty of a country shaped by fire, ice, and constant motion, reminding us why Iceland continues to captivate travelers and artists alike.

A sweeping look at one of the world’s most visually and ecologically rich countries. From vast savannas to coastal horizons, this story highlights Tanzania as a place where wildlife, landscape, and scale redefine what it means to experience travel at its most immersive.

A quieter, more meditative look at Iceland through movement and form. Water, ice, and land merge into flowing textures that feel almost abstract. This story slows the reader down, inviting reflection rather than spectacle.

A conceptual retreat imagined high above the Amazon rainforest. This piece explores how architecture and travel might evolve when design prioritizes coexistence with nature. It offers a hopeful vision of future travel that treads lightly and thinks long term.

A thoughtful examination of safety as an essential part of travel planning. Rather than leaning into fear, this story encourages informed exploration and highlights destinations where infrastructure, culture, and stability support meaningful and confident travel experiences.

A story of ambition and scale set against a historic landscape. This piece looks at a major infrastructure project and the questions it raises about progress, connection, and the future of travel in regions shaped by centuries of history.

Together, these stories reflect a year of travel defined by curiosity over consumption and depth over speed. They remind us that travel is not only about where we go, but how we observe, design, preserve, and imagine the world around us.

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