🌎 We can’t believe we did this!

Happy new year, fellow wanderers!

We’re always late to the party. We’re the guests who show up for dinner at least 15 minutes late – never early, and rarely on time. So naturally, we’re also saying “Happy New Year!” a little late.

But we do have an excuse (and we’re sticking to it). We’ve been busy writing up a storm on our Cabo Visitor blog after getting back late last week from 3½ wonderful weeks in Cabo.

Between lots of beach time and checking out more amazing places to stay – like the uber-luxe, all-plunge-pool-suite Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal – we also did something that was on our wish list for ages…

🐪 We rode a camel along the beach!

Cabo is full of fun and slightly crazy experiences, and and this one had been calling our names for years.

Pro tip for the uninitiated – riding a camel is not like riding a horse. You need to spread your legs really wide. Really wide.

Another fun tidbit… These camels don’t come from the Sahara or Mongolia – they come from Texas!

Back in the mid-1800s, the U.S. Army experimented with using camels to haul supplies across the deserts of the Southwest. The experiment flopped, but the camels stuck around.

➡️ Here’s a wild story in the Smithsonian Magazine about the Texas camels back in the day – one is even rumored to have eaten a grizzly bear!

Oh, and just so you know

The company we rode with is “humane certified” through the American Humane Conservation Program for ethical animal care.

We saw all of their 50 camels at their “camel ranch” – and they were totally pampered.

“Hercules” (the handsome guy in the photo above) was an excellent photo buddy – and not cranky or mean at all, despite camels’ reputation.

🛁 Wildly Indulgent Hotel Bathrooms

Oooh, you can see sharks drifting by from this UNDERWATER bathroom!

Speaking of offbeat travel moments, take a peek at 17+ of the world’s most over-the-top bathrooms!

Have you ever checked into a hotel and said, “Forget the view – you have to SEE this bathroom!” Every now and then, the bathroom shamelessly steals the spotlight, right?

Two particularly memorable ones for us:

Zanzibar – The bathrooms at &Beyond Mnemba Island Lodge only have pony walls, with mirrors hanging from the ceiling against a backdrop of open sky. A crab even popped in to shower with us!
Bali – Our open-air bath pavilion at Kayumanis Ubud Villas had no walls on three sides and an outside garden shower tucked among lobster claws and ferns. While lathering up, we’d spot hummingbirds flitting past and squirrels leaping in the trees.

Atlantis, The Palm cranks the fantasy factor even further. 🦈

Book an underwater suite (yes, it’s really underwater!) – and you’ll be brushing your teeth while sharks, fish and stingrays swim past your floor-to-ceiling windows in a 3-million-gallon lagoon aquarium!

See the world’s most “wow” bathrooms!

👀 Travel News From Around the World

Here’s what’s caught our attention lately:

Best places to go in 2026 – Conde Nast Traveler has its eye on some seriously tempting destinations, including Margaret River (Australia), the wild east coast of Barbados, Fes (Morocco) and Gabon for gorilla trekking and to see surfing hippos.
Southwest ditches open seating – After 53 years of first-come, first-served boarding, Southwest is rolling out assigned seats, starting January 27. The new setup includes three fare tiers: Standard, Preferred and Extra Legroom. So if you’ve ever power-walked (or flat-out run) through the airport chasing an A boarding group, those days are officially numbered.
It’ll cost you to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain – Overtourism strikes again. As one of Italy’s most popular cities, Rome is cracking down on the Trevi Fountain. You’ll now have to pay 2 Euros to toss a coin in, part of the city’s effort to protect its most crowded (and well-worn) landmarks.
World’s top trending destination – TripAdvisor is calling Madeira the breakout star for 2026. Sometimes dubbed the “Hawaii of Europe,” this lush Atlantic island is being praised for whale watching, volcanic hikes and outdoor adventures galore.
USA National Parks “free days” for 2026 – There’ll be 10 days this year when entrance fees are waived, including the entire July 4 long weekend. Pencil these in: Presidents Day (Feb 16), Memorial Day (May 25), July 3 to 5, August 25 (National Park Service birthday), September 17, October 27 and Veterans Day.