There are many great reasons to book a plane ticket and jet off to a faraway destination. Travelling injects excitement back into our lives, while teaching us more about the world, different people and cultures, as well as teaching us about ourselves. Travelling forces us out of our comfort zones and gives us the opportunity to spread our wings and see new perspectives. Travelling not only teaches and informs us, but it also relieves our stress and is said to improve the mental health of most people. While psychologists firmly believe that travelling impacts our lives and our minds positively; they also believe that, to an extent, it depends on where you travel to. Places that lifts one’s spirits through its beauty, uniqueness, creativity, history or just for the incredible weather is best for those that suffer from mental health issues. Those that feel anxious in big crowds and city ‘chaos’, or those that are overly empathetic to the point where it affects their mental health, should reconsider travelling to places that are incredibly busy, and places that have a history of turmoil, upset and unrest.

Take a look at the list of places that are known to put a smile on every traveler’s dial!

Goa, India | Spirituality

Even if you’re not a spiritual person there’s no doubt that there are forms of spirituality (such as yoga and meditation), that certainly help us to be more mindful, content and present. India is the home of spirituality. Most of India either practices Hinduism or Buddhism, both of which are centered around love, compassion, karma and making your inner and external world a better place. They focus on improving the self in order to project this into the world and live a life of peace and purity. Although most parts of India have been heavily affected by poverty and unemployment, their outlook on life is exceptionally moving. They may not have much, but they have many things that money cannot buy. Visiting a place such as this, as a tourist who seeks out happiness, truth and inner peace, your eyes will certainly be opened to a whole new way of thinking and living. Do yourself a favor and explore their teachings, their meditative techniques and their way of living. It will do wonders for your soul.

Botswana, Africa | Natural Beauty

Botswana is one of Africa’s most beautiful destinations. Most of the country has been left untouched, and nature plays out in its purest form. Spending time in the great open plains of the vast grasslands, where wild animals roam free in their natural habitat, feeds the soul in ways that cannot be put into words. It gives one perspective on life, nature and the world at large. It helps us to grasp the notions of intuition, and even love and compassion. Realizing that there’s so much more to life than the hustle and bustle of traffic, 9-5 jobs; or getting caught up in our own lives and emotions, is a priceless awakening. There’s very few places on earth where one can get in touch with nature on this kind of level, and experience extraordinary sights and encounters every minute of the day. Imagine seeing a pride of lions in action; the charismatic eyes of a leopard or experiencing the gentleness of mother nature in the form of wild beasts caring for their young. It’s an experience so extraordinary that you’ll have to book an African safari to truly understand what we mean.

Barcelona, Spain | Architecture and Vibe

Barcelona is an incredibly energetic city – it’s rather difficult to feel gloomy here! During the summer, Barcelona comes alive. People are walking, rollerblading, cycling and skateboarding down the seaside promenade; they’re soaking up the sun on the many gorgeous beaches, they’re eating ice-creams and indulging in Spanish cuisine and they’re marveling at the incredible architectural masterpieces dotted throughout the city. There really is no time to be bored in Barcelona! While it’s a great place to relax as well as get some exercise and feast on great food, there is also a lot to be learned here. Barcelona is home to many of the grand works of the world-renowned architect Gaudi, who designed the Sagrada Familia and the famous Casa Batllo, to name a few. These buildings are centuries old and hold great historical meaning. For anyone who needs a pick me up – the city of Barcelona is one of the best remedies on earth!

Seychelles Islands | Sun & Sea

Who wouldn’t want to kick back and relax on a tropical island? Seychelles in definitely the best way to rejuvenate and relieve yourself from stress and anxiety – it is immersed in natural beauty; with it’s white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and palm trees, it is the epitome of paradise. If you’re not getting some much needed vitamin D (which is a natural happiness pill), you could be swimming with the tropical fish that call the colorful coral reefs of the Seychelles, home. The Seychelles islands really are a breath of fresh air, and a breathtaking one, too!

Copenhagen, Denmark | Creativity

One of the greatest ways to express oneself is through art and creativity. This practice helps one to express their emotions and feelings, and acts a release. Many people with mental health issues find tapping into their creative side helps them to manage their stress in one way or another. Visiting a creative hub like Copenhagen is a great idea for those who seek out creative inspiration and who find joy in marveling at artistic works. A place like this could certainly spark a creative curiosity and may be just the thing you need to lift your spirits, or even find your hidden talent! Copenhagen is also a beautiful city and the people are known to be some of the friendliest in the world – yet another fantastic reason to spend some time there!

The Turquoise coast is often considered one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world. End to end, this coast is filled with natural beauty and historical fascinations

Turkey is home to islands that are as beautiful now as they have always been throughout history. Therefore, it is an excellent idea is to experience these places just as they might have been enjoyed throughout history. Alaturka Cruises offer a variety of tours that allow for you to explore different spots along the coastline. The Bodrum to Gokova blue cruise  is a fantastic way to see some of the highlights of the area.

This cruise is not only about adventure but is also a relaxing journey on a traditional gulet, all while discovering new places and meeting new friends. As this holiday takes eight days and visits many places, you will have time to thoroughly explore the following places:

Bodrum

The city of Bodrum is a popular starting place as it offers many chances to do some shopping while seeing some of the ancient ruins left as a reminder of the past. This city once was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Mausoleum of Mausolus. While only the substructures are left after a number of earthquakes, these remains are enough to see how impressive the building might have once been.

Orak Island

Another early stop on this route is Orak Island. This island is popular to stop at by both small cruises and diving boats. The bay is a spectacular place for swimming and snorkelling thanks to crystal clear waters. Divers find this bay very special due to the underwater coral wall.  On the land there are a few ideal walking spots with wild olive tree giving a wonderful smell to the air.

The English Harbor

This later stop has an unusual name. The English harbor gained its name from a less pleasant time in history but this has not dampened the beauty. The British Navy during WWII used this bay to harbour their vessels as it is quiet and sheltered from the elements. Sadly, there are some British ships that sunk in this bay. Divers and snorkelers try to spot these ships when swimming.

Karacasogut Village

Karacasogut is a small village that due to its close location to Marmaris and because of its beauty, has become a popular place for blue cruises to anchor for an afternoon. This small village is a sought after place of escape from the busy lifestyles of Marmaris city. Although in 1996 there was a fire that destroyed a large section of the village, this did not diminish its beauty or popularity. Often on a blue cruise this will be an overnight stop, allowing for passengers to arrange transportation to Marmaris to enjoy the nightclubs and bars that makes this city a popular tourist destination.

The Seven Islands

The Seven Islands is a location on the Turquoise coast that is often used in advertising for this part of Turkey. Even though most of the shots of this destination are taken from the air, this only highlights the beauty of the area. This chain of islands has many secluded bays that can be used for anchoring. Once anchored, there are usually 3 things that most visitors like to do; take a swim and see the colourful fish, walk through the pine forests that the islands are home to, or relax on the boat a watch the waters and islands in total peace.

While these are just a few of the locations on this incredible route, this should definitely be  incentive enough to try one of these amazing holidays.

Welcome, bienvenidos, to the Dominican Republic.

Here there are hundreds of kilometers of Caribbean coastline, vast lush interiors with peaks and valleys, desolate scrublands, and rich colonial towns with resonant histories. If you want to skip across sweeping white beaches, dive or snorkel in the crystaline waters, fly through the air on a zipline or parasail, ride through rivers on the back of a horse, or explore its rich history, the Dominican Republic might be the right Royal Holiday vacation for you. To get the most out of your trip to the island of Hispanola, you’ll want to immerse yourself in the culture, explore the beauty of nature, and have an adventure or two.

Steep yourself in culture

Today the stories of the old world blend with the Latin rhythms of merengue on the streets of Santo Domingo. When Columbus landed on Hispanola in 1492, the island had been inhabited for three thousand years by the TaÃnos (or “friendly people”). Now Santo Domingo has some of the richest culture in the Caribbean. You may also want to book a couple of nights at an all-inclusive in the city of Puerto Plata, where you can wonder at rich colonial architecture and enjoy the way its newer, vibrant streets pulse with sound of merengue.

Life’s a beach

To really get the most out of your Royal Holiday vacation to the Dominican Republic, you’ll want to spend some at one of the plush beach resorts in Punta Cana on the eastern shore of the island. Beaches like Playa Bávaro, El Cortecito, Playa Bonita, and others on the 35-kilometer coastline of Punta Cana are considered some of the most beautiful and romantic in the Caribbean. Punta Cana is also home to some of the most beautifully manicured golf courses, the most luxurious restaurants, and the most vibrant nightlife in the D.R.

Have an adventure
From Punta Cana, you can book a horseback and zipline tour along the Anamuya river, take a dune buggy tour of the banana plantations and farms outside the city, or take a safari tour of Monkeyland, a theme park dedicated to native monkeys. Nothing prepares you for a romantic dinner by the sea like spending the day swimming with sharks and stingrays in the Punta Cana marinarium. From Puerto Plata you can book a trip to swim, climb – and jump – from the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, something many travelers say is the coolest thing to do in the D.R. If you’d rather cruise the Western Caribbean than there are a ton of great options for members of the Royal Holiday Vacation Club as featured and written about. There are a ton of great options for members of the Royal Holiday Vacation Club have hundreds of vacation spots to choose from but often times can’t make up their mind No matter what you choose for your holiday vacation.

38 countries around the world are currently members of the Visa Waiver Program, which represents huge benefits for tourism, business, and even international security.

Many travelers may be more familiar with the term ‘ESTA’ when traveling to the USA, which is the ‘Electronic System for Travel Authorization’. Essentially, the ESTA is the way that the citizens of these 38 countries can benefit from the Visa Waiver Program, and visit the USA for periods of up to 90 days at a time on business or as tourists.

Since last year in particular, there has been a lot of focus on international travel to the USA, particularly in the wake of the travel ban. This also brought the Visa Waiver Program into the limelight, with many people concerned as to the potential security drawbacks of having a system whereby travelers did not require a visa to enter the United States.

Public debate surrounding the Visa Waiver Program has widely been focused on security concerns, particularly in the past year. Indeed, security should always be paramount when looking at any framework for travel. Of course, terrorism has played a heavy part in how we look at the issue of security, and is one of the main reasons behind continued security improvement efforts, in the USA and around the world. Nevertheless, it is perhaps important to underline the rigorous and highly interconnected security processes that are intrinsic to the Visa Waiver Program, and how the very existence of the program is a security benefit in itself.

The concept of a visa waiver can easily give off the idea that it would somehow be less secure for the US than the visa system. Of course, it’s largely known that the vetting process behind a US visa application is comprehensive, and so the idea of someone not having to carry out this application could, on the surface, look like a blind spot in national security; a window of opportunity that could be exploited by those who represent a threat to the country. And yet, the level of vetting involved with the Visa Waiver Program actually involves an intricate web of checks and databases around the world.

In fact, the background checks that go into an ESTA application are the same as those of visa holders. The information of every ESTA applicant is cross-referenced in the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHL) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which each have multiple systems in place for cross-checking various data. The information consulted in these cross checks covers law enforcement, lost and stolen passports, known and suspected terrorists, fingerprint IDs, no fly lists, and a wide range of other specific and highly important data.

What’s more, every one of the 38 member states of the Visa Waiver Program shares their own security information with the United States. As a result, the USA has an even better idea of who it is letting into the country, and who to be aware of. This is a fundamental requirement for being a part of the program; every country needs to share data on criminals and suspected and known terrorists with the USA, as well as on lost and stolen passports.

In this sense, the more countries that join the Visa Waiver Program, the more secure it is for everyone. The program’s travel benefits and security benefits go hand in hand. As more countries join, the body of valuable security information grows. And as security improves, this is also a natural boost to tourism appeal.

And the fact of the matter is, though it’s very easy to apply for ESTA as an individual, it is not so easy for countries to become part of the Visa Waiver Program. The US looks at a wide range of parameters when deciding on whether a country can be allowed into the program, and continues to monitor these aspects for countries that are already in. These things include overstay rates, security and information collection factors, national policies, among many other components.

Coming back to overstay rates briefly, this is how many visitors to the USA stay longer than their visa or ESTA allows them to be there. The overstay rate of citizens from VWP member countries is considerably less than those who come to the country with visas, however it is also an important characteristic that countries require to form part of the system. In order to be a member country of the Visa Waiver Program, a candidate country needs to have an overstay rate of 2% or less. For some countries, however, this is the only thing stopping them from becoming members of the program. The problem for the United States is that, if a country is a suitable candidate in all other regards, and is generally seen as a ‘high-value, low-risk’ territory, then by rejecting an application on this factor alone, they could be missing out on extremely valuable security information, as well as major benefits to trade, tourism and diplomatic ties on the whole.

In light of the huge number of databases and shared information that goes into the Visa Waiver Program, it is worth highlighting here that the overall ESTA system is working very well. By way of example, the secretary of homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen, recently commented that an average of seven people on the terrorist watch list try to enter the USA on a daily basis. The Visa Waiver Program is therefore acting as a strong and consistent barrier, and also strengthening the collective awareness of suspected or known terrorists by continually updating the Terrorist Screening Database. As a result of this, it is also worth pointing out that none of the dozens of terrorist plots and attacks in the USA in recent years were committed by people who got into the USA under the Visa Waiver Program.

There is another security factor involved in travelling with an ESTA that is identical to any visa, or indeed any US citizen. This is the fact that the ESTA is only an authorization for you to travel to the United States, and not to actually get into the country. Of course, if you have an ESTA, then this means that you have already been vetted and that there is therefore no reason to suspect that you pose any threat. Nevertheless, upon arrival in the United States, it is the responsibility of a Border Patrol Officer to make the final call. This person has the authority to let you into the country, or to refuse your entry. Generally, the Border Patrol Officer will ask travelers a few questions about their trip, which can range from what their plans are and where they are staying, to what they do for a living and how they are funding their trip.

The benefits behind the Visa Waiver Program affect all parties. Of course, it is very important that the topic of security continues to be discussed in an ongoing way. As we do so, we should also recognize the significant security benefits it already poses, and look at how they can be expanded and scaled to become even more effective.

If you’re traveling to the USA this year, be sure to apply for your ESTA online as soon as you start planning your trip. The application process itself only takes around ten to fifteen minutes, and the entire process is carried out online. After you have submitted our application, you will receive an email with your authorization status within 24 hours (despite all the data crosschecks going on!).

Once your application has been approved, it will be valid for a period of two years, or until your passport expires (whichever comes first). As soon as your passport expires you will need to apply for a new ESTA in order to travel to the United States. Throughout the validity period of your ESTA, you can travel to the United States as many times as you need, as long as the purpose of your trips corresponds with the conditions of the Visa Waiver Program. Though the ESTA itself cannot be renewed at the end of these two years, you can simply apply again, following the same application process, to get your travel authorization back.

And yes, there are a range of security questions included on the online ESTA application form, but now you know that behind the scenes there are a whole lot more!

The magnificent Cappadocian landscape is something quite unique, not just in Turkey, but in the world. Centuries of harsh weather, volcanic activity and erosion on the soft tuff which is abundant in the region, have made the landscape what it is today. Adorned with unusual rock formations known as Fairy Chimneys, spread across barren land and lush valleys between red tinted rocks and vineyards. Humans have also had an impact of the area with ancient civilisations leaving behind incredible underground cities, cave homes, rock-hewn churches and monasteries and many caravanserais from the travelling Silk Road tradesmen. The history of this particular part of Turkey’s central Anatolia is long and colourful and there are various ways to dive into exploring the Lunar Landscape.

Jump on a Quad Bike

One way to get a quick taste for the numerous valleys of Cappadocia is by joining an ATV Safari for a few hours or renting your own bike for a longer trip. This is ideal for adventurous ‘off the beaten track’ travelers who seek bit of adrenaline. Around the village of Goreme there are offroad tracks to the Fairy Chimneys and ruins in Sword Valley and a maze of trails connect the village to Cavusin and Uchisar via interesting rock formations in Red and Rose Valley’s.

Road Trip

To see a little more of the region and in a little more comfort you can hop on a Jeep Safari and cruise between the villages and valleys and visit stunning panorama point with 360 degree views over the fantastic Cappadocia landscape. Jeep Safari Tours are usually half day excursions but you can go private for extra exploring time. Or, for a bit more freedom you might prefer to rent a car and visit the central villages of the region such as the pottery making town of Avanos or the historic Ottoman-Greek town of Mustafapasa.

Horse Riding

The word Cappadocia means ‘The Land of Beautiful Horses’ and once upon a time most of central Anatolia was teeming with tradesmen who travelled between Europe and Asia on handsome Akhal-Teke horses, native to Turkmenistan. Nowadays you can still explore Cappadocia and horseback just as the Silk Road travelers once did, horse riding excursions can be anything from a few hours to full day or multiday trips stopping with homestays in quaint villages. But, horse riding in this region is far from the calm scenic walk you might be imagining as the mountainous terrain will have you decending steep scree slopes, through dry valleys and muddy rivers or climbing to jaw dropping viewpoints.

On the River

While much of Cappadocia is dry and dusty, there is a town in Cappadocian region which is famous for its red river and the stores of clay that lay beneath it. On the river bank is the town of Avanos, most visitors come for the open pottery workshops and handicraft stores or a romantic Gondola ride on Kizilirmak River. However adrenaline seekers may have also heard about jet boat river trips, the newest in the range of adventure sports in Cappadocia, you can enjoy a fast paced drive along the historic river, making quick spins and probably getting quite wet and still have time to explore the traditional town.

By Dolmus

If you’re an independent traveler who isn’t keen on outdoor sports of pre organised tours then don’t be put off of visiting Cappadocia because it’s still possible to visit many of the region’s highlights by Dolmus (local buses). Staying in the village of Goreme you will be at the very centre of Cappadocia and connected to nearby towns and villages by excellent public transport services.

On Foot

Throughout Cappadocia there are multiple well marked hiking trails of varying difficulty connecting  towns via valleys of Fairy Chimneys, troglodyte caves and rock-hewn churches. There are easy to difficult trails from the edge of Goreme village, passing through manmade dovecotes in Pigeons Valley. A 4 km trail is relatively flat apart from the final climb up to Uchisar Castle where there are fantastic panoramic views over the area. Stay for sunset or hike back via Love Valley which hosts the largest and the most numerous of these mushroom shaped Fairy Chimneys. You can stop at the Goreme Open Air Museum on the way, this UNESCO approved site is home to stone age homes and early Christian churches with original frescoes and countless caves to delve into.

A Bird’s-Eye-View
The best way to appreciate the magical landscape of Cappadocia is from a Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon. Float high above undulating hills and deep valleys, with views to surrounding mountain peaks and dormant volcanoes as the sun begins to rise over Turkey’s Lunar Landscape.