Category: Destinations Top Tips and hacks

High atop the Korean Peninsula, past military checkpoints and bumpy dirt roads in one of the world’s most secretive countries, rises a volcano and deep crater lake steeped in symbolism.

Mount Paektu, an active stratovolcano straddling the border of North Korea and China, is the highest peak on the Korean peninsula and lies at the heart of North Korea’s foundation myth.

The North Korean side of the mountain was recently designated a UNESCO Global Geopark, marking North Korea’s first natural site to be included on the list.

The executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the site for its “impressive natural and cultural heritage,” including its volcanic eruptions and geological features, in a meeting held in February.

But to grasp the significance, you have to stand at the edge of Lake Chon — a caldera around 7,200 feet above sea level, formed by a massive eruption more than a thousand years ago — and feel the wind cut across your face.

I did just that in June 2017, as one of the few Western journalists to reach Paektu’s summit from the North Korean side. The trip, sanctioned and closely monitored by Pyongyang, offered rare access — and a window into how the regime elevates this mountain into something almost divine.

Move over, Golden Gate and Sydney Harbour. China is set to open the world’s tallest bridge in June, the latest feat of engineering from the infrastructure-focused country.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is currently nearing the end of construction in Guizhou, southwest China. It will measure 2,051 feet above river level, which is 947 feet taller than current bridge title holder the Millau Viaduct in France.

Guizhou province is a mountainous areas of China, with complex terrain. The bridge crosses the dramatic Huajiang Grand Canyon, also called the “earth crack.”

China has a nationwide push to improve infrastructure, especially in relatively underdeveloped mountainous areas like Guizhou, which is 800 miles west of the city of Shenzhen.

Thus, the bridge isn’t just about breaking a record — once in operation, it will be easier than ever for cars and trucks to traverse the area. According to state media, it will reduce travel time over the Huajiang Grand Canyon from two hours to just one minute.

Venice is set to be the stage for the highly anticipated nuptials between multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and his bride-to-be Lauren Sanchez, but even one of the world’s richest people may face a struggle to access the best views in town.

The three-day celebrations will span June 24 to 26, according to according to Luca Zuin, spokesperson for the mayor of Venice, and will reportedly take place on Bezos’ $500-million superyacht, Koru, which will be anchored in the Venice lagoon.

While that may sound like a dream wedding location, restrictions on large ships getting too close to Venice’s historic St. Mark’s square may impede the view.

Bezos’ yacht, at 3,493 gross tons, is far below the 25,000 gross ton maximum for vessels entering the Venice lagoon, but it’s too large to be allowed anywhere near the Grand Canal, the Italian city’s most scenic waterway.

While no details of the ceremony have been confirmed by Bezos or his fiancée, the city confirmed the event in a statement, adding that the event would be manageable with only 200 guests invited.

Several luxury accommodation venues appear poised for an influx of guests over the purported wedding dates. The city’s five major luxury hotels along the Grand Canal, including the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the St. Regis Venis, the Gritti Palace, the Hotel Danieli and the luxurious Grand Aman Hotel, where George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin celebrated their wedding in 2014, are all almost entirely booked for the last weekend of June, according to calls to the hotels made by CNN.

Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation’s 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety.

Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) peak.

This often results in long queues of climbers in the “Death Zone,” an area below the summit with insufficient natural oxygen for survival.

Overcrowding has been blamed for the high number of deaths on the mountain. At least 12 climbers died, and another five went missing on Everest’s slopes in 2023 when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died last year.

Under the proposed law, an Everest permit would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of having climbed at least one 7,000-meter mountain in Nepal.

The sardar, or the head of local staff, and the mountain guide accompanying climbers must also be Nepali citizens.