We celebrate our milestone 200th issue by counting down some of our most memorable travel moments and sharing personal recommendations. Explore 200 anecdotes, memories and stories from the people behind the pages of Global Traveler.
20 Global Traveler memories
1. Meeting the celebrity speakers at various GT Tested Reader Survey awards.
2. The thrill of holding the first GT issue in hand.
3. Winning the Globility Award.
4. The first in-person meeting of the GT staff in New York City.
5. An editorial lunch atop the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in 2017.
6. Running through torrential rain in Michigan during our annual sales conference.
7. Celebrating with a bottle of Dom Pérignon after the Wines on the Wing event.
8. Dinner at Club 33 in Disneyland, Anaheim, California.
9. The unforgettable holiday dinner at the Union League — and the cigar room afterward.
10. Team-building events ranging from a Philadelphia mural tour to pumpkin carving and a meatball showdown.
11. Experiencing the Cherokee Club in Atlanta.
12. Nearly facing a 16-hour drive back to Philadelphia from Chicago due to weather delays, saved by Southwest Airlines.
13. Driving down Sunset Boulevard to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in a limo while a colleague stood up through the sunroof, thrilled to be in Hollywood for the first time.
14. The five-year anniversary party at the Renaissance Times Square.
15. Time off to celebrate the Eagles Super Bowl parade.
16. Our 10th anniversary GT Tested Reader Survey awards with Terry Waite at The Peninsula Beverly Hills; now preparing for the 15th.
17. Seeing my name on the masthead and publishing my first byline.
18. Pedi-cab races on the Atlantic City boardwalk during our first staff conference.
19. Dancing the night away with staff and friends at Global Business Travel Association conferences.
20. The memory of our first offices in Yardley and the excitement of moving into a new complex.
20 travel experiences we recommend
1. Visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
2. Spotting alligators in Florida.
3. Riding a gondola through Venice’s canals.
4. Renting a car and driving through Ireland’s countryside.
5. Taking a long-distance train journey.
6. Attending Easter Mass at Westminster Abbey in London.
7. Trying glassblowing on Murano Island, Italy.
8. Helping harvest wine grapes in Italy.
9. Snorkeling in Molokini Crater, Maui.
10. Enjoying culinary food tours in Mexico City.
11. Celebrating New Year’s Eve in another country.
12. Taking a sunset cruise in Santoríni.
13. Touring glaciers in Iceland.
14. Traveling solo at least once to learn about yourself.
15. Learning to surf in Sydney, Australia.
16. Visiting the pyramids in Egypt.
17. Going on a horseback safari in Kenya.
18. Listening to fado in Lisbon.
19. Exploring hidden caves in Vietnam.
20. Hiking the Liwa Desert sand dunes at sunrise.
20 travel tips and tricks from the GT staff
1. Pack more socks than you think you’ll need.
2. Choose outfits that work with one pair of shoes to limit footwear.
3. Make photocopies of your passport and driver’s license and keep them separate from the originals.
4. Spend time on each trip simply walking to soak in the local atmosphere.
5. Pack neutral clothing to mix and match.
6. Get up early and stay out late to make the most of a destination.
7. Engage locals in conversation — shopkeepers, drivers, waitstaff, even people on park benches.
8. Don’t be afraid to try solo adventures.
9. Roll clothes to save space when packing.
10. Download movies, books and music to devices before travel.
11. Travel with carry-on only when possible.
12. Apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck for faster airport processing.
13. Consider credit cards without foreign transaction fees for international travel.
14. Smile first — it often earns a smile in return.
15. Don’t forget chargers for electronic devices.
16. Bring a warm layer like a shawl or sweater for flights.
17. Allow extra time to handle delays.
18. Carry cold medicine and any necessary prescriptions.
19. Bring cash and obtain some local currency.
20. Underpack when you can — you can always buy essentials at your destination.
20 underrated cities around the world you should visit now
1. Augusta, Maine.
2. Cities and towns across Cambodia.
3. Houston, Texas.
4. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
5. Oban, Scotland.
6. Walla Walla, Washington.
7. Pettoranello del Molise, Italy.
8. San Antonio, Texas.
9. Granada, Spain.
10. The Finger Lakes region, New York.
11. Lombok, Indonesia.
12. Annapolis, Maryland.
13. Luxembourg City.
14. Nairobi, Kenya.
15. Virginia Beach, Virginia.
16. Stowe, Vermont.
17. Colorado Springs, Colorado.
18. Lviv, Ukraine.
19. Ribera del Duero, Spain.
20. Sukhothai, Thailand.
20 travel moments that changed our lives
1. A plane ride to China that felt astonishingly long — a reminder of how vast our world is.
2. The events of 9/11 and their profound global impact.
3. Traveling alone for the first time and discovering independence.
4. Escaping a difficult period by spending a restorative week fishing and hiking in remote Canada with friends.
5. Visiting New Orleans just weeks before Hurricane Katrina.
6. Spending 24 hours in Ireland without a hotel and embracing the unknown.
7. Meeting a Māori artist and woodcarver in his Auckland studio.
8. Touring the DMZ between South and North Korea and feeling the tension firsthand.
9. Attending a cousin’s wedding in Italy where the celebration lasted more than 12 hours.
10. Watching the sunset over the Santoríni caldera from the water.
11. A month abroad in Spain during college — my first big trip to Europe.
12. Service trips to the Bahamas rebuilding a home for a foster mother.
13. College road trips with both of my sons.
14. Being awed by the engineering of the pyramids.
15. Watching African wildlife in its natural habitat rather than in a zoo.
16. Visiting Petra, Jordan.
17. Taking a first cruise with Royal Caribbean.
18. Seeing the lingering devastation of Chernobyl and gaining a deeper understanding of the tragedy.
19. Savoring remarkable sunsets and sunrises around the world.
20. A childhood trip to Disney World with my grandmother, staying at the Grand Floridian — my first “fancy” hotel.
20 tourist attractions worth the crowds
1. Times Square, New York City.
2. Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
3. Niagara Falls.
4. The Las Vegas Strip.
5. The Louvre, Paris.
6. Temple Bar, Dublin.
7. The Duomo, Florence.
8. The Acropolis, Athens.
9. The Colosseum, Rome.
10. Santoríni, Greece.
11. St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.
12. Any major museum in New York City.
13. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland.
14. The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
15. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk in Sydney.
16. Blarney Castle — kissing the stone is a rite of passage for many.
17. The Egyptian pyramids.
18. The Taj Mahal.
19. Windsor and other royal sites in and around London.
20. Oktoberfest in Germany.
20 hotels you need to visit
1. The Peninsula Beverly Hills.
2. Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
3. Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya.
4. The Setai, Miami Beach.
5. The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia.
6. The Peninsula Hong Kong.
7. Raffles Singapore.
8. Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California.
9. The Breakers, Palm Beach.
10. Four Seasons Bora Bora.
11. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
12. Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, Sint Maarten.
13. Le George V, Paris.
14. The Ritz Madrid.
15. The Goring, London.
16. Lotte Hotel Seoul.
17. ME Miami.
18. Mandarin Oriental, New York.
19. Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Abu Dhabi.
20. Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine, Valladolid, Spain.
20 of our favorite travel movies, books and music to inspire wanderlust
1. Lord of the Rings.
2. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
3. Everest.
4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
5. Under the Tuscan Sun (book and film).
6. Call Me by Your Name.
7. Wild (book and film).
8. Lost in Translation.
9. The Accidental Tourist.
10. Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
11. Out of Africa.
12. Chef.
13. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck.
14. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
15. Letters from the Andes by Patrick Leigh Fermor.
16. Ireland by Frank Delaney.
17. “Ventura Highway” by America.
18. “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
19. “Sedona” by Houndmouth.
20. “Go” by Louis the Child.
20 funny travel stories
1. Touring China with my high school choir, strangers kept asking to take photos of my brother and me, calling us the “Jonas Brothers.”
2. Driving around Ireland and being warned by a farmer to pull into his driveway because “the cows are coming”; the car behind us ignored the advice and was nearly swallowed by the herd.
3. Running into a great friend in Las Vegas when neither of us knew the other was there.
4. Flying to Greece after missing a flight because I went to the wrong London airport.
5. My luggage zipper bursting and my clothes circling the baggage carousel.
6. Spotting large hoof prints on a muddy trail and assuming elk — only to meet a grazing cow around the bend.
7. Accidentally renting a “hotel room” that was basically a spare bed used by restaurant patrons who’d overindulged.
8. Rushing through Rome thinking we were catching a train, only to be following church bells.
9. Attempting the Donkey Path in Santoríni, but giving up because of the donkey droppings.
10. Taking a much harder trail in Runyon Canyon than intended.
11. Having a wallaby bite my finger while I tried to feed it.
12. Leaving a key in a B&B room and sneaking back in from a second-story porch at midnight when the owners were unavailable.
13. Mistaking raw whale blubber for cheese at a traditional Icelandic buffet — not a fan.
14. Loading film into a 35mm camera in Paris but failing to advance it, so no photos from Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower — digital photography is safer.
15. Nearly being escorted off a flight after refusing to give up my seat for a duplicate booking.
16. Having a python draped over my shoulders in Miami Beach.
17. Running through a monsoon in Nassau, Bahamas.
18. Flying to London to see Adele at Wembley only to learn she canceled — we made the best of the trip anyway.
19. Changing into a tux for a country wedding in Australia along a deserted road, only to be greeted by passing cars full of fellow guests yelling “G’day.”
20. On a pony trek in County Sligo, a horse reliably led us to the best pub in every village.
20 reasons we’re grateful to be global travelers
1. The vibrant community created by fellow global travelers.
2. Visiting new places with great people and discovering different cultures.
3. Learning from smart, inspiring individuals.
4. Having adventures you wouldn’t experience at home.
5. Travel provides a chance to unwind, unplug and collect lasting memories.
6. Making new friends around the world.
7. Sampling regional delicacies.
8. Collecting passport stamps.
9. Seeing incredible art, architecture and natural beauty.
10. Every workday and trip offers a new experience.
11. Working in an environment full of humor.
12. Feeling like a citizen of the world.
13. Bringing home locally made treasures.
14. Gaining fresh perspectives and a deeper appreciation for the wider world.
15. Collaborating with great colleagues.
16. The novelty and envy people express about working for a travel magazine.
17. A creative team that welcomes new challenges.
18. Bleisure opportunities at every turn.
19. Pride each time a new issue arrives hot off the presses.
20. When coworkers become family and you share unforgettable experiences together.