Pat Lee

As any visitor to Japan knows, it’s hard not to fall in love with convenience-store culture there with its always stocked shelves, addictively delicious egg sandwiches and unbelievably fresh bowls and bento boxes.

The experience couldn’t be more different than popping into one at home, staring at stale-looking sandwiches, overcooked hot dogs and racks of expensive junk food.

Although many of us travel to immerse ourselves in differences, sometimes it’s the familiar that resonates most.
“Wow, does that ever remind me of home,” I said a minimum of 100 times (give or take) during a breathtaking 15-day voyage around the British Isles aboard the Viking Star, one of Viking Ocean Cruises’ elegant ships that carry under 1,000 passengers.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong I thought as I pondered an invitation to cycle in Tenerife, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, as a lead-up to one of the region’s premier cycling events.
Sure, the island is famous for its dramatic volcanic landscape (read: relentlessly hilly) and is a well-known training ground for elite cycling teams from across Europe. And yes, I’d be riding alongside young, extremely fit, almost professional cyclists who appear to be born wearing clip-in shoes and skin-tight Lycra.

Our evening aboard Enchanted Princess begins with a sense of mystery. Drinks in hand, we gather outside a discreet, unmarked dining room, mingling with 20 other guests. All we know is that we are about to take part in an immersive culinary journey and the team behind 360: An Extraordinary Experience is masterful at building anticipation.
“Are you curious? Are you excited? Are you hungry?"

A week or so before heading to Seattle, I had spent some time in a rural part of Japan where there wasn’t a coffee shop on every corner, nor even coffee readily available in many hotels, with tea being the preferred bevvy of choice.
To say this lover of all things coffee was struggling, especially in the morning, would be an understatement.
Needless to say, when we were wheels down in Seattle a short while later, I knew getting a cup of Joe would not be an issue.

Although the Welsh word  ‘hwyl’  (pronounced ‘hoo-eel’) might be difficult for the average North American to pronounce, what it means — fun —is easily understood, even after a short visit to this country on Britain’s west coast. From the moment I arrive by train in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, joy, passion and fun seem to bounce off the walls of castles, historic shopping arcades and neighbourhood chippies. The city is buzzing as supergroup Oasis prepares to take the stage for its first concerts in years, adding an extra layer of energy to the air.

Sushi, spa, and skiing — a winter escape to Western Newfoundland

Before Las Vegas glittered, the high rollers were soaking in the steamy springs of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, this small town built atop naturally heated mineral waters was once America’s original resort escape and the preferred hideaway of crime bosses like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.
Drawn by the healing waters and lax government regulations that allowed gambling, booze and prostitution, the mob’s most notorious figures found Hot Springs the perfect place to ...

With the beat of heavy bass drums from Halifax-based Junkanoo band Culture Shock reverberating through the central concourse at Halifax Stanfield International Airport on Friday, 06DEC, representatives from Bahamas Tourism, Air Canada, and the airport celebrated the departure of the airline’s first service to the Bahamas from the Eastern Canadian capital.

WestJet has expanded its already robust schedule of flights from Halifax to Europe adding Copenhagen, Lisbon and Madrid to its 2026 summer season.
Reflecting its new partnership with Delta Airlines, the Western-based carrier is also adding a seasonal direct flight from Halifax to Detroit.
The addition of the three new WestJet flights to Europe will bring the total number of seasonal flights overseas to nine in summer 2026.

I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m a bit of a Christmas Grinch.
When holiday movies start flooding the airwaves, Mariah Carey is belting from store speakers and the inevitable push to “get in the spirit” begins, my inner curmudgeon can’t help but mutter, ‘Bah humbug.’

I won’t lie; I was terrified.
That’s not a feeling I usually experience in my travels, but our plan to explore the legendary Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves on an amazing trip to Belize pushed me way out of my comfort zone.
Donning helmets and headlamps, we’d be wading through chest-deep water, bouldering and squeezing through incredibly tight places in a five-kilometre underground network of caves, an Indiana Jones-style adventure that would take more than five hours.

Our guide Isao Murashita is being extremely patient as he teaches us some of the rituals around entering a temple, which includes correctly washing our hands and mouth at the gate.

Dip the ladle in the water, then wash your left hand, right hand, and left hand again and then rinse your mouth.

It’s dark and silent and almost surreal. We’re in clear-bottomed kayaks looking for what exactly, I’m not entirely sure.
But it doesn’t take long for the magic to appear. It’s after sunset and we’re paddling over the calm warm waters of Mosquito Bay on the southern shore of Vieques, one of the islands of Puerto Rico, home of one of the world’s brightest displays of bioluminescence.
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The tiny village of Geiranger, Norway is best known for its stunning views of Geirangerfjord and its proximity to the Seven Sisters waterfalls. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the third biggest cruise ship port in Norway.
But on the day we visit, it is famous for another reason. The community is soon to be the wedding destination for Norway’s controversial Princess Martha Louise and her even more controversial fiancé Durek Verrett, a self-proclaimed shaman.