The World's Best Journeys

Problem
Where should you go next? What are the world's best journeys? A Canadian company, Flight Network, asked more than 500 experts in the field of travel, bloggers, journalists, editors and others, to choose their three favourites trips and give the reasons why. I was one of the people whose opinions they canvassed.

From the suggestions, the top fifty were selected. Now the 2018 results are out, and you can see photos and panoramas of the places chosen and read the reasons why.

Are any of your favourites in the top 50? How many have you already seen and done?

How many are new to you?
Will you choose one of them for your next trip? The company is second in Canada after Expedia, and they don't just operate from Canada for travellers starting in Canada but also all over American and from London. Read all about what they can do for you on their website.

Here are some of their selections:
1 Antarctica.
In case you have trouble remembering which is the Arctic and which is the Antarctic, The Arctic is in the north and includes Alaska - and cruising to Alaska comes in the list later, at number seven.

 The name Arctic comes from the Greek word for bear, and the Arctic is the home of the Northern Star and the white polar bear (and the white snowy owl).

The Antarctic, of course, is the opposite end of the world, the south. The starting off point is the tip of Argentina.
Places to visit include Penguin Island. The Antarctic has Emperor Penguins, the largest penguins.  The smaller ones in the picture are youngsters. Yes, penguins live in the south and bears live in the north.
Look at the fabulous photos on the FlightNetwork website.

I was one of the judges submitting suggestions for my top three.  Canadian company FlightNetwork canvassed more than 500 travel experts to draw up a shortlist and choose the top 50 journeys. 

Go to the

USEFUL WEBSITES
Blog and Journeys
https://www.flightnetwork.com/blog/worlds-best-journeys/

Journeys and Judges
https://www.flightnetwork.com/blog/worlds-best-journeys-judges/

Flight bookings
https://www.flightnetwork.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DiscountFlights

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker

Stanley Hotel, Colorado, inspiration for movie The Shining, runs Ghost Tours

The Stanley hotel, a huge hotel built way back in 1909, inspired Stephen King's novel which in turn inspired the horror movie The Shining. If I were in America for Halloween I'd book  the hotel's three day Halloween package or, if I missed that, any other day of the year a ghost tour at this hotel which apparently runs ghost tours daily. Stephen King stayed here in 1974 with his wife and they were the only guests. The Kubrick movie did not feature this hotel, but a later TV miniseries did.

The hotel also has a spa.

Now, according to the Daily Mail, they are applying to build a museum. It seems they already have enough to attract the average tourist.

If you stay in the hotel you see an account of the hotel and its history on the hotel TV system. You can also read about Stanley in Wikipedia which refers you back to sources some of which have add odd line or paragraph or two to complete your picture of him.

The hotel was not named by him after his family name originally. He wanted to name it after the Lord from whom he bought the land. However, locals were so against the lord who was Stanley's predecessor that they petitioned Stanley to name the hotel after his own family.
More about Stanley and other people of the era encouraging respect for the landscape in:
http://www.us-parks.com/rocky-mountain-national-park/culture.html

The hotel is in the Historic Hotels of America. Also the Grand Heritage Hotel Group. It is named Stanley after the man who built it. According to their website, the Halloween package is 'Three Nights of Fright'.

But if horror fills you with horror how about something soothing, such as a spa, or sculpture, or romance.

They have a sculpture garden. The sculptures include life size local animals. If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, you can buy a sculpture. Or perhaps commission one. The sculptures for sale with the prices, and the websites of the sculptors, are on the website. There's also a sculpture competition.

Bedrooms
Bedrooms are in the main building or the lodge. Depending on your preference and budget and the numbers in your group, you can have a bedroom, a suite, a bedroom with a Jacuzzi spa, a mountain or courtyard view, a historic style room, a haunted room, a modern studio room, or several modern rooms with a kitchenette.

The Lodge also offers pet rooms, for dogs only, for a non-refundable deposit, and dogs only up to a certain size. So, I presume, unfortunately your dog will not be admitted if your dog is a contender for largest dog in the world in the Guinness Book of Records.

The romance package for a couple includes truffles and roses. Plus a massage, one for each of you, I believe. And currently 20% of sales. I am not sure if that is sales from the spa or if the hotel has a large number of shops. I'll try to check that out, for the benefit of my fellow shopaholics.

More details from:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3286487/Colorado-hotel-inspired-Stephen-King-s-Shining-talks-build-horror-museum.html

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado.

The Stanley Hotel

333 Wonderview Avenue
Estes Park, 

Colorado
80517 

USA

800-976-1377 Toll-Free
970-586-3371 Local

For room and hotel reviews see TripAdvisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g60945-d83189-Reviews-Stanley_Hotel-Estes_Park_Colorado.html

Book direct or through Expedia.
http://www.stanleyhotel.com

https://www.expedia.co.uk/Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-Hotels-Stanley-Hotel.h11284.Hotel-Information?

More information from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stanley_Hotel

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.