Guests at Mary’s Boon Hotel on Simpson Bay Beach, St. Maarten, on June 8, 2025. The dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers lots of frugal diversions, including vivid street murals, hilly hikes and local barbecue. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Logistics tend to bump up the price of visiting the Caribbean. But the dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers an advantage: It’s a transportation hub for

Selecting the right bottle to bring to a party is never easy. (Gwen Keraval/The New York Times) By ERIC ASIMOV Every year around now, we test the proposition that it’s better to give than to receive. The challenge is what to give. For those who enjoy wine or other alcoholic beverages, the answer is often a bottle. But not always, and choosing a bottle is not simple. Cost is important, as is the nature of the event, your relationship to the recipient and their interests. Somet

Dogs in an off-leash area of Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, Feb. 1, 2023. New studies of canine genetics shed light on the diversity of dogs and our longstanding, still-evolving relationship to them. (Calla Kessler/The New York Times) By LISA FRIEDMAN and MAXINE JOSELOW In the beginning, there was only Tasha. Twenty years ago, the purebred boxer became the first domestic dog to have her genome sequenced, ushering in a new era in canine genetics. “Once that happened, everything

Piet Heezen and his children with Dick Mol, a self-taught paleontologist, right, on Maasvlakte 2 beach, a popular destination for fossil seekers in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Oct. 14, 2025. “Citizen paleontologists” can keep the fossils they uncover around Europe’s largest port. All the professionals ask is that those amateurs let them know. (Ilvy Njiokiktjien/The New York Times) By NINA SIEGAL After scouring a beach in the harbor all morning in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a ret

Classic Thanksgiving turkey. Make sure to carve the turkey in the kitchen (and not at the table) to minimize mess. Food styled by Barrett Washburne. (David Malosh/The New York Times) By MELISSA CLARK There are myriad ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, and I’ve probably tried them all. I’ve spatchcocked, grilled and splayed. I’ve wet-brined, butter-basted and chile-swabbed. But with each new recipe I try, I grow more convinced that the simpler it is, the better the bird and t

Sunset from a cruise cabin in the Bahamas on Feb. 6, 2025. As cruise travel hits record demand, cases of sexual assault have also risen. Many accusers learn that the rights they had on land don’t always apply. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) By CEYLAN YEĞINSU Two days into a 12-night Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Sun, after an evening watching karaoke with her parents, a 20-year-old woman went to the nightclub to meet people her age. After ordering a drink around 11 p.m.

The gift shop at Hacienda Doka in Costa Rica in October 2025. (Toh Gouttenoire/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Amid a September downpour in a beach town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, I was reminded that I’d bet on poor odds. Locals had assured me their rainy season, from May through November, consisted of bright mornings and afternoon showers followed by clearing skies, at least most of the time. Still, the rewards for risking rain were substantial, including low p

Sometimes even your most valiant efforts aren’t enough to get you to the gate on time. (Weston Wei/The New York Times) By GABE CASTRO-ROOT The dubious social media trend known as “airport theory” holds that travelers can arrive at the airport just 15 minutes before their flight because the plane simply won’t leave without them. Don’t believe everything you see online: Your plane will leave whether you’re on it or not. Sometimes, though, it’s not your fault. Even if you give y

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Ga. following mandated cuts to flight traffic on November 7, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration has required airlines to cut flights to reduce the strain on air traffic controllers, who have gone weeks without a paycheck. (Nicole Craine/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG, CLAIRE FAHY and GABE CASTRO-ROOT After the Trump administration announced it would cut 10% of air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, airli

The gift shop at Hacienda Doka in Costa Rica in October 2025. (Toh Gouttenoire/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Amid a September downpour in a beach town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, I was reminded that I’d bet on poor odds. Locals had assured me their rainy season, from May through November, consisted of bright mornings and afternoon showers followed by clearing skies, at least most of the time. Still, the rewards for risking rain were substantial, including low p