Hey there, Travellers,

It seems like 2025 is flying by, and all of a sudden, we've landed in awards season again. This week, we've got Japan Airlines winning Skytrax's 'Best Economy Seat' award, while CN Traveller has published its 2025 Readers' Choice Awards. 

Most of the winning hotels and resorts in the latter are far fancier than my trips can ever aspire to, but I will admit that they're onto something with the 'Friendliest City in the UK'.

Today, I wanna know the friendliest city you've ever visited, anywhere in the world! What was it that made it stand out? Share your picks in the comments, and who knows, maybe we'll start our own awards!

Happy travels and safe landings,

Sun-drunk and still, there’s a kind of conversation that drifts between people when you’re half lost in sunlight. 

I’m somewhere along the Ligurian Coast, slathered in SPF and sand, strategically flopping from front to back, playing the part of a rotisserie chicken. Pollo Allo Spiedo, with a pinch of ADHD. 

“If this place could be bottled, what would the label say?” I glance over at my best friend, nothing short of a sun goddess. Palms facing upward, the freckles on her face greet the rays like an old friend. 

“Hmmm, I guess, real, authentic, low-key, maybe a little quiet, or maybe that’s just because it’s the end of the season?” she responds dazedly. 

I sit upright and take in the view before me. 

A constellation of boats sways hypnotically to the mellow strum of the chittara battente, a sound that comes from nowhere and everywhere all at once and what would come to be the bass line of the town itself. Across the street, laundry sways, music-tossed, on lines between the buildings. 

This beach is empty, except for us and an elderly woman in a two-piece shuffling toward the sea. I watch the years wash away the moment the water touches her skin. 

“It’s not catchy,” I reply, “but I think I’d put 'We are here too' on the label.” 

And as if to echo my thoughts, I catch a woman in my periphery, stomping toward us, head-to-toe in glamorous winter gear. She tells us the sun loungers we’re lying on cost 40 euros for the day. Otherwise, get lost. 

It’s the first time I’ve heard anyone speak English since I’ve been here. 

She softens when we attempt an apology in Italian and tell her we’ll be on our way. Folding her arms, and flicking her scarf, she shivers from a September wind perhaps only Italians can feel. Certainly not two Irish girls in bikinis.

“Why you come here?” she arches her brow and points to the ground, as if the sand here in Sestri Levante is somewhat lesser than its neighbors, Portofino and the Cinque Terre. With zero crowds to elbow through, I’m beginning to suspect it's better. 

“Oh, I saw it on a map, I wanted to see what it would look like in real life” That gets me a quizzical smile, and she softly points us in the direction of the free beach, Baia del Silenzio. 

I’m not one for sun holidays, but like Giovanni Descalzo, the poet who named it, I find myself spellbound by the bay's cerulean crescent. 

The shoreline is a ribbon of gold and citrus, limoncello-hued houses leaning shoulder to shoulder, their illusionary trompe l’oeil facades trembling in the water like a painter’s spilled palette.

It wasn’t exactly as silent as the name promised, but the pace matched every image evoked by the phrase “il dolce far niente.” 

Keep reading...

Last week, we dipped into our Facebook Community to see what the hot topics were and who needed help planning their next big trip. When we spotted Traveller Yvonne's question about what to see and do over 10 days in Panama, we couldn't leave her hanging. 

Here's what you, dear readers, recommend for a fantastic Panamanian adventure:

And in case you're still hungry for more, Yvonne, here are some other tips we scooped up earlier this year. Do send us a postcard and let us know how it goes!

Rounding off this week's Reader's Corner, Liz is sharing her epic plans for a big birthday trip, and asking for your help to fill in the gaps:

Wow, what a quest, Liz! We're sure you'll have a fantastic trip retracing your family routes regardless, but if anyone has suggestions for exciting stop-offs or must-try restaurants, head to the comments or hit 'Reply'.

Let's make Liz's big birthday unforgettable!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.

• Surfing blind — how one traveller learned to read the waves like Braille.
  
  
• This weekend marks the launch of the EU’s new entry/exist system. Here’s what the changes will mean for anyone travelling on a non-EU passport.
  
  
• The mystery of the 3-year around-the-world cruise that is yet to set sail.
  
  
• Watch out, there’s a new longest non-stop flight in the world, and it’s a pretty random route!
  
  
• And finally, taking a trip often means missing your furry pals back home. But fear not, cat tours are becoming a thing! While North America has been at it for a while, 200 feline fans took to the streets of Brighton on Sunday for the first one in the UK, where tales of the city were interspersed with… Well, tails of the city.