This lovely reef may be one of the most photographed in the world, but do you know where it's located? Now since you guys have guessed everything so easily in the past, I want to make this harder for you. This time, I not only want to know where it is, but also the name of the country's capital city. Do you know?
Log in and leave your guesses below and check back on Monday for the answer!
Lyndsey Matthews is an assistant digital editor at Travel + Leisure.
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Looking for a romantic getaway? T+L's digital projects editor Sarah Spagnolo spotlights five heart-pumping hotel deals for the month of February.
This is hands down the most electrifying book cover that’s come across my desk in my recent memory: the words Love, Inshallah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women emblazoned over lacy lingerie tantalizingly dropped on an unkempt bed. If Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi, the editors of this intoxicating compilation of 25 personal narratives, are to be believed, Muslim women flirt, date, have sex, and fall in love, just like everyone else. Who knew?
The essays range from hilarious (a 14-year-old being given a crash course in the birds and the bees by her mom in a movie-theater parking lot) to heart-wrenching (a woman who realizes that her non-Muslim fiancé has an insurmountable disdain for her faith); from chaste (an endearing tale of a girl passing up a chance to make out with her model-hot trainer) to steamy (a bittersweet retelling of a passionate weeklong affair with a Muslim punk rocker). Premarital sex, arranged marriage, online dating, polygamous relationships, date rape, lesbian romances—everything is recounted with refreshing honesty and courage. My favorite section was, unsurprisingly, International Habibti: Love Overseas, full of enticing encounters in the Andes, Sri Lanka, and Cairo—who hasn’t fantasized about meeting a mysterious, accented, handsome stranger in an exotic, faraway land?
USA Today | Every vacationer boarding a cruise ship will receive a safety briefing before the vessel sets sail under a new industry-wide policy announced today.
In a joint statement, the U.S.-based Cruise Lines International Association, Europe-based European Cruise Council and UK-based Passenger Shipping Association said the new policy would apply across the board to their members, which include every major cruise line in the world.
The announcement comes in the wake of an industry-wide safety review following last month's Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy, which resulted in at least 17 deaths. Fifteen passengers remain missing.
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In today’s V-Day installment from GloboMaestro, Antonio Barrios, concierge at the St. Regis San Francisco takes us to Hayes Valley in San Franciso in search of exquisite chocolates, old-school cakes, and all manner of sugary treats for your sweetheart—or yourself!
For more ideas on where to find great candy, chocolates, and more, check out our new feature "Best New Sweet Shops."
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Want to unwind and get away from it all? T+L's features director Nilou Motamed shares her picks for the best spots for R&R.
Associated Press | After more than two decades of drilling in Antarctica, Russian scientists have reached the surface of a gigantic freshwater lake hidden under miles of ice for some 20 million years—a lake that may hold life from the distant past and clues to the search for life on other planets.
Reaching Lake Vostok is a major discovery avidly anticipated by scientists around the world hoping that it may allow a glimpse into microbial life forms, not visible to the naked eye, that existed before the Ice Age. (...)
"It's like exploring another planet, except this one is ours," Columbia University glaciologist Robin Bell told The Associated Press by email. (...) "There is no other place on Earth that has been in isolation for more than 20 million years," said Lev Savatyugin, a researcher with the AARI. "It's a meeting with the unknown."
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It’s not your average aphrodisiac. Pulque—the frothy, vitamin-rich, rough-around-the-edges beverage made from fermented Maguey sap—has been the drink of gods and mortals in Mexico for over 1,000 years. This less sophisticated cousin to tequila is also a “must imbibe” concoction for those wanting to conceive.
Today, as part of our special love-inspired V-Day video series with GloboMaestro, we’re featuring a sexy subterranean watering hole that pours pulque by the pitcher. And, it’s in the unlikeliest of places—New York City’s Chinatown. This romantic spot also turns out some really authentic food, too. Don’t miss sharing a bowl of the sikil pak, a Mayan pumpkin seed dip served with housemade tortilla chips.
Pulqueria NYC
11 Doyers Street (Bowery & Doyers)
212-227-3099
www.pulquerianyc.com
Ladies, I have found it. Thousands of miles and hundreds of destinations later, I've found the dress that works on every single body type, and more importantly, travels effortlessly and elegantly. It's the Karina dress, available in 15 styles. You can stomp on the dress, crumple it up, and it will still look smooth and polished when you slip it on. Versatile and appropriate, I wear the dresses for both weekend getaways and work trips.
We’re not sure what’s in the air, but the city of Miami is on editors’ minds these days. Many of us are plotting sunny getaways there, surprising our significant others with romantic weekends, and generally daydreaming about Florida’s hottest city. And, Miami news is pouring in: Last week, we covered the re-opening of the landmark Shelborne South Beach hotel; and this week we’re craving Chef Brian Massie's Italian dishes at the newly opened—and ridiculously chic—Bianca restaurant at the Delano Hotel. (The very idea of his simply grilled langoustines and homemade pasta with shaved truffles makes us swoon.)
And on the heels of yesterday’s love-inspired post, we have another fun video from GloboMaestro. Here's an excuse to get physical in Miami on Valentine’s Day—or any day! Take your first class, or show off your moves, with other passionate dancers at Miami's Salsa Mia. The Mandarin Oriental, Miami’s concierge, Giselle Mueller, shows you the way.
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