Travel

(CNN) — A man with strawberry-blonde hair squats to face his dark-bearded, well-toned opponent. Both are wearing black loincloths, and stand in a meticulously groomed circle, surrounded by ceramic tiles that link together to form a perimeter. They’re about to engage in a sumo wrestling match. But this isn’t a tourist attraction in Japan. This

(CNN) — No matter which direction you travel from, there’s a ramp-up of vivid blue, yellow and even orange hues on buildings and structures before you actually enter the town of Izamal, Mexico. But you will know that you have arrived when you’re surrounded with golden-yellow walls on every building on every street. Nicknamed “La

(CNN) — Considered the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn is arguably the most captivating site in the United Arab Emirates capital. With foundations dating back to around 1760, it also happens to be its oldest building. Surrounded by sprawling skyscrapers in the center of the city, the magnificent white fortress has served

(CNN) — Japan Airlines is giving away 50,000 free round-trip domestic air tickets to international tourists next summer — but there’s a catch. The giveaway aims to encourage tourists to see less visited parts of Japan, and perhaps take some of the strain off Tokyo between July 1 and September 30 next year as the

(CNN) — A hiker from Minnesota died after a redwood tree collapsed and struck him at Muir Woods National Monument in Northern California, officials said. The monument is in Marin County and approximately 15 miles north of San Francisco. Emergency medical services were called at approximately 4:38 p.m. and first responders found Dutta beneath the

(CNN) — We’ve grown up being told not to play with our food but a pizza maker in Rhode Island does just that to create works of art that will make your stomach growl. Eric Palmieri is a fifth-generation Italian baker. But it wasn’t until a devastating fire destroyed his more than 110-year-old family bakery

(CNN) — Already known for their UNESCO-protected pink-hued mountains and glacial valleys, the Italian Dolomites are likely to get even more attention now for going green. One of its ski resorts is going entirely plastic-free. Pejo 3000, a resort with 12 miles of ski runs and seven ski lifts in Val di Sole, has banned

(CNN) — Like so many good stories, this one began with a memorable night out. Rino Dubokovic, a university student in Zagreb, was out enjoying drinks with his friends when they started swapping their funniest hangover stories. Suddenly, an idea dawned on him: “Some sort of collection where all these objects from drunk stories would

(CNN) — It would make for a great “Jeopardy” answer: The Pacific island groups of Samoa and Kiribati share this annual first-in-the-world distinction. And the correct question would be: Where is the new year celebrated first? Thanks to their positions just to the west of an irregularly drawn international date line, these two Polynesian destinations

(CNN) — The universe sent one last solar salute of the decade down to Earth on Christmas day — or Thursday, December 26, depending on where you are in the world. Commonly referred to as the “ring of fire” eclipse, this solar event occurs annually as the moon passes in front of the sun, covering

(CNN) — A 6,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom Victorian mansion could’ve been yours for only $50,000, but there was one catch: You had to put together a restoration proposal for the historic property in order to be considered. The property has 10 bedrooms. Michael DeRosa / Michael DeRosa Exchange, LLC The city of Auburn purchased the foreclosed property,

(CNN) — While most good things get more expensive, one dream got ridiculously cheap in 2019 thanks to the rise of the €1 home in Italy. The story quickly went viral, drawing global interest, particularly as other towns and villages from the northern Alps to sunny Sicily were attempting the same thing. Soon, some of

The 39-year-old runs O’Brien’s Southern Diner in Ashland City, Tennessee, near Nashville. Beasley’s free meals, which target those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas, have been a fixture of the community since 2013. Each year, she has served traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to anyone who stops in, with sumptuous offerings such as turkey,

(CNN) — Consider it a Christmas gift from the universe to the world: a solar eclipse, the perfect ending to the holiday. This annular solar eclipse — when the moon covers the sun’s center, leaving a “ring of fire” visible against the night sky — won’t be visible from North America, though, according to timeanddate.com.

(CNN) — Another year, another record set by the tallest active geyser in the world. The Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupted 47 times this year, blowing past the record set in 2018 for the most eruptions recorded in a year. Steamboat — whose major eruptions shoot water more than 300 feet into the

The White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico has been officially designated as White Sands National Park. Located in the Tularosa Basin, White Sands is one of the world’s great natural wonders. The 275 square miles of desert makes White Sands the world’s largest gypsum dune field, according to the National Park Service. White

Don’t worry — the residents of the central Wisconsin town haven’t been deprived of a half-century of winter fun. But the text of Wausau Ordinance 9.08.020, enacted in 1962, might make you think otherwise. It reads this way: “No person shall shoot any objects, arrow, stone, snowball, or projectile by hand or by any other

The Galapagos, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are home to some of the most unique and scientifically significant ecosystems on earth. It is part of Ecuador and located hundreds of miles off the country’s coast. The incident is likely to rile scientists and environmentalists who have gone to great lengths to protect the volcanic Pacific

(CNN) — The year 2019 was another year of high drama in the world of aviation. It was a record year for bankruptcies, as travel giant Thomas Cook went bust, and close to 20 other airlines besides. There were bad times for Boeing, with its 737 MAX grounded since March after being involved in two

(CNN) — For many, the thought of catching a plane is far from luxurious: from spending countless hours lining up at security, to wrestling arm rests with other passengers as you face a crammed long-haul flight in economy. But somewhere else in the sky on board a private jet, high fliers are having their every