Above: Carved image of Dacian king Decebal, viewed from an AmaMagna cruise on the Danube River in Romania - POROJNICU STELIAN / GETTY IMAGES

Best Travel Experiences

Carved portrait of Dacian king Decebal on the Danube River in Romania - Porojnicu Stelian / Getty Images

In addition to illuminating the world’s best hotels and restaurants, we seek to uncover special experiences of interest to sophisticated travelers. These awards shine a spotlight on the most notable itineraries, excursions and tours we took during the past year.

Most Memorable Excursion
Local Lifestyle Tour, Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho, Vietnam

Xuan Hai's basket boat village - Andrew Harper editor

The four-hour Local Lifestyle Tour provides a compelling reason to leave the confines of this wonderful resort. Our delightful guide and driver took us first to a local food market full of fresh seafood and colorful produce. We moved on to a nearby “basket boat village,” a beach where it was just us and the fishermen among the traditional cylindrical watercraft. The tour also included meeting a practitioner of traditional Vietnamese medicine and a family of rice-cracker makers (we helped toast some over a charcoal brazier). The tour provided extraordinary access to people and places I never would have found on my own.

Read more about our tour in Vietnam »

Join Andrew Harper today to continue reading our exclusive content.
Above: Carved image of Dacian king Decebal, viewed from an AmaMagna cruise on the Danube River in Romania - POROJNICU STELIAN / GETTY IMAGES

Read More from Our Trip:

Cocktails Around the World Hotels of the Year Best Amenities Best in Class Disappointments of the Year Favorite Editor Photos of the Year Hospitality Awards Hotel Restaurants of the Year Most Memorable Tastings  Remarkable Returns Restaurants of the Year