North America

Philadelphia

United States

Cancún

Mexico

Cancún 🌴 at $202 RT from Philadelphia 

Ok fine, who's in for a springtime Mexico trip?

Vancouver

Canada

Toronto

Cancún 👙 in $380s-$390s RT

Miami

Querétaro

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Mérida

Denver

Houston

Orlando

Oaxaca

Mexico City

León

Oakland

Monterrey

Chihuahua

Around Mexico 🌵 in $180s-$290s RT

Saskatoon

Tulum

🧘‍♀️ Tulum at $486 RT from Saskatoon

Abbotsford

Puerto Vallarta

🦎 Puerto Vallarta at $484 RT from Abbotsford

Take your pick of glowing pink cathedrals, food-obsessed locals and INSANELY underrated waterfalls.

Chicago

San Luis Potosí

Morelia

Puebla

San Salvador

El Salvador

Guadalajara

Mexico & El Salvador 🌄 in $190s-$350s RT  

Perfect flight from Amsterdam to Mexico

Postcard from PassionateMover4706

Direct flights with TUI from Birmingham to Cancun and then a quick ride on the ADO down to Tulum to this paradise.

Postcard from The_Biting_Brummie

Hey JFC, I booked Cancún, Mexico 🌴 in €510s-€560s rtn !

Postcard from Johan

Just wanted to share a picture of Merida&#39;s Día de los muertos!💀

Postcard from Rebecca

My husband and I took in Merida&#39;s famous parades and celebrations for the Día de los Muertos.

Postcard from Becca

Hey JFC team!
I booked flights to Mexico as you tipped me off about the error fares.

I had some problems buying luggage online so called them up. The price for checked luggage was £120 in total for both ways. However, this is the key bit of info, the price in US$ was also 122! So buying in dollars was £91 and saved 25%. A huge saving and £45 for a 25kg bag is as cheap as you can get.
Hope this helps someone else,
Ed

Postcard from Ed

Scotland

Italy

Vietnam

Hey there, Travellers,
I'm heading to Senegal next month, and I can more or less guarantee that I will be attacked by the world's deadliest animal. That's not pessimism; it's just realism.&nbsp;
Apparently, the it isn't a hippo (though I hear they're pretty scary), and it's not a snake or a spider; it's actually the most annoying animal in the world, too&mdash;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/deadliest-animals">the mosquito</a>.
I might try something new to keep them at bay and spend my whole trip&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/evaamsen/2019/04/05/skrillex-music-is-not-enough-to-keep-you-safe-from-mosquitoes/">blasting dubstep beats</a>, rendering myself the most annoying animal instead. But if you have any better, tried-and-true methods for keeping the bitey beasts away, please share your wisdom <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-228-scotland-by-public-transport-the-creme-de-la-creme-of-cable-cars#comments">in the comments</a>.
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

The Cr&egrave;me de la Cr&egrave;me of Cable Cars: As Chosen by You

With journeys spanning more than 30 countries and ten years, Akasha's best memories live in the pages of her passport. She always consults her tarot (and her cats) before any big trip. Currently based in Ireland, when she isn't travelling, she&rsquo;s probably drawing in a caf&eacute; somewhere.

By Akasha

The only line we&rsquo;ll happily wait in? The cable car queue&hellip;&nbsp;
Turns out we&rsquo;re not the only ones with this niche obsession! A few weeks ago we asked for your thoughts on the best cable cars you&rsquo;ve been on.&nbsp;
From Chile to China, our latest rabbit hole crisscrossed through centuries of architectural feats&mdash;including France&rsquo;s mercifully brief (yet whimsical)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGbzYqcl6OI">underwater death trap</a>.&nbsp;
Your recommendations poured in too, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2753016238387553/">some incredibly dizzying pics</a> in our Facebook community.&nbsp;
And we must say, they were pretty&nbsp;uplifting. Take a look! 
<h2 dir="ltr">Cableb&uacute;s, Mexico City</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria) / Leitner (Italy)
Objective: Mass transit system connecting high-altitude neighborhoods to the Mexico City Metro
Launch Date: 2021&nbsp;
Vertical Ascent: Varies by line; Line 2 traverses the Sierra de Santa Catarina volcanic ridge
Capacity: Each cabin holds 10; capable of transporting 3,000 people per hour per direction
Track Length: About 10,550 meters (Line 2)
Transit Length: 36 minutes (Line 2 total journey)

<a href="https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/40048459562388-Copyright-Licenses-on-Flickr">CC image</a> courtesy of Ted McGrath <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2pxDixx">on Flickr</a>

&ldquo;A great way to view Mexico City from above is by <a href="https://getlostinmexicocity.com/mexico-city-cable-car/">using Cableb&uacute;s</a>, Line 2 is the longest cable car in the world taking around 45 minutes, costing 7 MXP per journey (30 pence). You need a Tarjeta Card to tap in.
It&rsquo;s also an easy connection from the metro system; you just need to change cable cars at Xalpa to continue the journey. It&rsquo;s well worth getting off at&nbsp;<a href="https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx/venues/mercado-quetzalcoatl/?lang=en">Quetzalcoatl </a>for the local market. Great views of the rooftop murals, and don't miss the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWl-i9jY4-/">parked airplane</a> (turned library) on the ground.&nbsp;
Top tip: don't travel at rush hour, instead go off-peak to avoid the crowds&rdquo; - GallantHiker6933

Mexico City&rsquo;s cable car system isn&rsquo;t just for tourists! The line connects local communities in between Indios Verdes &amp; Cuautepec, cutting down on lengthy commute times and unsafe conditions. Not only that, it&rsquo;s helped reduce air pollution in this mega metropolis. Line 2 holds the Guinness World Record for the longest public cable car on earth (10.55 km), and over 100 massive murals and 3,000 brightly painted rooftops were commissioned specifically to be viewed from above.

<h2 id="prada-costabella-italy">Prada Costabella, Italy</h2>
Manufacturer: Graffer (Italy)
Objective: Direct transit from Prada (San Zeno di Montagna) to the Costabella ridge on Mount Baldo
Launch Date: August 2022 (Complete overhaul and reopening)
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 838 meters
Capacity: Each "open basket" holds 2; capable of transporting 400 people per hour
Track Length: About 3,000 meters of cable (across two sections)
Transit Length: 22 minutes in total

&ldquo;Lake Garda. Rickety-looking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prada-costabella.it/en/">birdcage thingies</a>! You could hear everything as there was no glass. Saw an eagle swoop right below us.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Emma

Rickety indeed! If you can get over <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VftUF7j_rLg">climbing into a metal cage</a> for one section of your journey, Funivia Prada Costabella&rsquo;s cable cars lead to mountain huts and the highest peaks of Monte Baldo with insane views of Lake Garda below. The baskets don&rsquo;t stop to let you on, and we&rsquo;re not sure which is more anxiety-ridden: the running jump start or the leap of faith to get off.

<h2 id="vung-tau-cable-car-vietnam">Vung Tau Cable Car, Vietnam</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria)&nbsp;
Objective: Direct transit from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g303946-d8331363-Reviews-Front_Beach-Vung_Tau_Ba_Ria_Vung_Tau_Province.html">Front Beach</a> (Bai Truoc) to the summit of <a href="https://asialegend.travel/blog/big-mountain-vung-tau-guideline-for-first-timers">Big Mountain</a> (Nui Lon)
Launch Date: February 2010
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 210-250 meters above sea level&nbsp;
Capacity: Each cabin holds 8; capable of transporting 3,000 people per hour&nbsp;
Track Length: About 455-500 meters of cable&nbsp;
Transit Length: 10 minutes

<a href="https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/40048459562388-Copyright-Licenses-on-Flickr">CC image</a> courtesy of &nbsp;Фотобанк on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/moscow-live/44911896115/in/photolist-7XwdPi-7TBUga-8v2zZj-2bHoAJQ-2bqHd1t-P4eHwz-2bqHfDK-P4eHxX-2cPpZ2B-2cPpZ7X">Flickr</a>

&ldquo;When in the <a href="https://www.vietnamcoracle.com/vung-tau-city-by-the-sea/">criminally underrated Vung Tau</a>, a couple of hours south of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in September last year, I took the modest 5-minute cable car alone on the way to Hồ M&acirc;y Park - a mountain-top amusement resort that is as bizarre as it is fun.&nbsp;
Needless to say, I went in the middle of a full-on thunderstorm, and (even though I generally love cable cars) decided that the only way to 'survive' was to make no sudden movements and grip the metal bars with a force that Newton himself had never discovered.&nbsp;
A dramatic recollection? Yes. A fun evening? Also yes. Give it a go...?&rdquo;&nbsp;- RapturousWanderer78593

At its summit, you&rsquo;ll find a <a href="https://sklegendvungtau.com/Services/may-lake-tourist-area">mountaintop water park</a> (and an artificial lake), the first in Vietnam. Its &ldquo;Adventure Oasis&rdquo; is the world&rsquo;s longest water coaster designed exclusively for kids. 
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-coolest-cable-car-rides">See more cable cars, ft. bendy roads and Balkan bobsleighing...</a>

Reader's Corner

A Local's Guide to Scotland by Public Transport

The Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

By Katy

<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/local-guide-to-scotland-by-public-transport">Open the full article &rarr;</a>
When I was a student, I spent a couple of summers working in the Visit Scotland information centres in Aberdeen and Glasgow. People from all over the world would drop in for a map, some tips, help with accommodation, or to book a tour&mdash;but they all had a different idea of how they wanted to see the country and in what timeframe.&nbsp;
The majority of visitors staying longer than a few days tended either towards a self-drive road trip or a full-on guided tour. Both have their merits, of course, but I was surprised at how few people thought of taking public transport to get around the country. This has only intensified in recent years with the surge in popularity of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.northcoast500.com/">North Coast 500</a>.

Here&rsquo;s where I confess: I don&rsquo;t drive&mdash;rather, I can&rsquo;t drive. Buses and trains are my go-to whether I&rsquo;m at home or away. All it takes is a little patience and planning (and a decent podcast), and you really can reach most places without getting behind the wheel.&nbsp;
So here are some tips from me, a local and a public transport nerd, to help you make the most of travelling around Scotland without a car.
<h2 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Trains</h2>
ScotRail is the main train company operating routes across Scotland. Others do operate within Scotland, but they tend to be long-distance routes connecting us across the border. These include LNER, Avanti, TransPennine, CrossCountry, and Lumo. Additionally, the Caledonian Sleeper runs a night train service 6 days a week (no Saturdays) <a href="https://www.sleeper.scot/about/our-trains/">between London and various parts of Scotland</a>.
Our <a href="https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/our-routes">train network</a> is actually pretty decent, connecting even more remote parts of the country and often syncing up with island ferries. That&rsquo;s especially handy for any of you planning to tackle the <a href="https://www.westhighlandway.org/the-route/">West Highland Way</a>, go on a <a href="https://www.edinburghwhiskyacademy.com/blogs/feature/exploring-scotland-s-distilleries-by-train-and-on-foot">distillery crawl</a>, or even just enjoy a <a href="https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/stonehaven--united-kingdom/homes?refinement_paths%5B%5D=%2Fhomes&amp;place_id=ChIJCUqwt7MYhEgR5yb_p6JQLZg&amp;adults=2&amp;query=stonehaven%2C%20united%20kingdom&amp;flexible_trip_lengths%5B%5D=one_week&amp;monthly_start_date=2026-04-01&amp;monthly_length=3&amp;monthly_end_date=2026-07-01&amp;price_filter_input_type=2&amp;channel=EXPLORE&amp;ne_lat=56.56973657468622&amp;ne_lng=-2.5626367884672447&amp;sw_lat=56.547377010487565&amp;sw_lng=-2.605995674858775&amp;zoom=14.636762951783304&amp;zoom_level=14.636762951783304&amp;search_by_map=true&amp;search_type=user_map_move&amp;price_filter_num_nights=5&amp;search_mode=regular_search">windswept coastal retreat</a>.
It&rsquo;s easy to get swept up in the romance of a Scottish train journey, especially on the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20231204-the-west-highland-line-one-of-the-worlds-most-scenic-train-lines">West Highland Line</a> from Glasgow to Mallaig. Just look out for flying cars along the way&hellip; If you stick it out all the way to the end, you&rsquo;ll be treated to <a href="https://www.wayfaringkiwi.com/things-to-do-in-mallaig/#Things_to_do_in_Mallaig">rugged coastal beauty</a> featuring cozy pubs with live music and a roaring log fire.

<h2 dir="ltr">Buses</h2>
Anyone who has ever travelled on a budget in the UK has taken a long-distance bus ride. Sure, they take a little longer than the train, the legroom can sometimes be pretty rotten, and the single lavatory often makes itself known to everyone onboard. But it&rsquo;s always affordable, and sometimes it&rsquo;s your only option.
While the train network is decent, Scotland has a lot of rural spots in between that rely on bus connections. Taking a long-distance coach between bigger towns is a good start, but if you want to reach <a href="https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/castles/scotland-castle-trail">those castles</a> and <a href="https://www.wowscotlandtours.com/blog/how-to-visit-the-old-man-of-storr/">rock formations</a>, you&rsquo;ll likely need to catch a local country bus from the closest hub, too.&nbsp;
Take the <a href="https://maltwhiskytrail.com/">Speyside Malt Whisky Trail</a>, for example&mdash;a major draw for international visitors who love a tipple. Somehow, the steam billowing from the distillery chimney stacks, nestled in among the hills and on the banks of roaring rivers, actually adds to the charm of these <a href="https://must-see-scotland.com/is-moray-in-the-highlands">(almost) Highland</a> towns and villages.
The buses here even go beyond our charming borders. Living on an island, it always feels like a novelty when I see a bus to a different country, but it is possible, even in Glasgow. If you want to avoid the cheap Ryanair hop from Scotland to Ireland, simply spend 9 hours on a coach*, and you&rsquo;ll be breathing in the brisk Donegal air before you know it.
*the coach may or may not board a ferry across the Irish Sea to Belfast before continuing west.

This summer, our friends at Lupine Racing are running a 3-day public transport race across the UK and Ireland! Join us for a fast-paced challenge by land and sea before a splendid summer soiree.

See You on the Scenic Route: a Public Transport Race Across the UK & Ireland!

<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/local-guide-to-scotland-by-public-transport">Read more, including island hopping, unlimited travel passes, and all the nitty-gritty...</a>

Travel Tips

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">A man was arrested at the Nairobi airport for attempting to smuggle 2,000 Kenyan ants into China, and we&rsquo;re not sure which is weirder: this news story or the fact that it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7gd57z33zo">not the first time this has happened</a>. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">The US <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-restarts-global-entry-program-under-pressure-industry-2026-03-11/">reopened Global Entry this week</a>, after shutdown-induced lines kept international arrivals waiting for hours on end. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">An excellent reminder to switch your phone to airplane mode: These passengers got hit with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/12/mobile-phone-air-sea-charges-satellite-roaming">shockingly huge fees</a> when their devices kept trying to connect from the air. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Six guinea pigs <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxgd571497o">mysteriously appeared on the isle of Jersey</a>, and quickly scattered to evade capture. So if you&rsquo;ve got an island holiday coming up, keep an eye out for furry fugitives! </li>
<li>And finally, you might have forgotten your passport before trying to board a plane, but at least you weren&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/jet2-flight-glasgow-turkey-delayed-36852518">supposed to be the one flying it</a>.</li>
</ul>

Travel News

A Local's Guide to Visiting Scotland by Public Transport & the Crème de la Crème of Cable Cars

China

Malaysia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ireland

<h2 dir="ltr">Tianmen Cable Car, China</h2>
Manufacturer: Poma (France)
Objective: Direct transit from <a href="https://chinaexplorertour.com/2025/destination-guide/zhangjiajie-dayong-ancient-city-travel-guide-tips-info/">Zhangjiajie City</a> to the summit of <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g494933-d1871611-Reviews-Tianmen_Mountain_National_Forest_Park-Zhangjiajie_Hunan.html">Tianmen Mountain</a>
Launch Date: September 2005
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 1,279 meters above sea level
Capacity: Each cabin holds 8; capable of transporting 1,000&ndash;1,200 people per hour
Track Length: About 7,455 meters of cable&nbsp;
Transit Length: 28&ndash;30 minutes

&ldquo;Tianmen Mountain 99-Bend Road a few months ago.&rdquo; - Slava

At 7,455 meters, <a href="https://www.zhangjiajieguide.com/attractions/tianmen-mountain/cable-car.html">this cable car</a> takes you to Heaven&rsquo;s Gate&mdash; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVgEzzBDy0z/">literally</a>. Unlike most cable cars that start at a mountain base, this one begins right in the city center near the railway station and flies over residential rooftops and farmland before ascending to the cliffs.

&ldquo;When in the <a href="https://www.vietnamcoracle.com/vung-tau-city-by-the-sea/">criminally underrated Vung Tau</a>, a couple of hours south of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in September last year, I took the modest 5-minute cable car alone on the way to Hồ M&acirc;y Park - a mountain-top amusement resort that is as bizarre as it is fun.&nbsp;
Needless to say, I went in the middle of a full-on thunderstorm, and (even though I generally love cable cars) decided that the only way to 'survive' was to make no sudden movements and grip the metal bars with a force that Newton himself had never discovered.&nbsp;
A dramatic recollection? Yes. A fun evening? Also yes. Give it a go...?&rdquo;&nbsp;- RapturousWanderer78593
<a href="https://www.flickrhelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/40048459562388-Copyright-Licenses-on-Flickr">CC image</a> courtesy of &nbsp;Фотобанк on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/moscow-live/44911896115/in/photolist-7XwdPi-7TBUga-8v2zZj-2bHoAJQ-2bqHd1t-P4eHwz-2bqHfDK-P4eHxX-2cPpZ2B-2cPpZ7X">Flickr</a>

At its summit, you&rsquo;ll find a <a href="https://sklegendvungtau.com/Services/may-lake-tourist-area">mountaintop water park</a> (and an artificial lake), the first in Vietnam. Its &ldquo;Adventure Oasis&rdquo; is the world&rsquo;s longest water coaster designed exclusively for kids.

<h2 id="langkawi-skycab-malaysia">Langkawi SkyCab, Malaysia</h2>
Manufacturer: Doppelmayr (Austria)
Objective: Direct transit from the<a href="https://panoramalangkawi.com/oriental-village/"> Oriental Village</a> to the summit of <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g23318796-d25262663-Reviews-Machinchang_Peak_Hiking-Padang_Matsirat_Langkawi_Langkawi_District_Kedah.html">Machincang Mountain</a>
Launch Date: November 2002
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers 708 meters above sea level
Capacity: Each cabin holds 6; capable of transporting 700-800 people per hour
Track Length: About 2,200 meters of cable
Transit Length: 15 minutes (total journey including middle station stop)

&ldquo;I just went on <a href="https://panoramalangkawi.com/">the cable car in Langkawi</a> that is apparently the world's steepest! I'm not scared of heights but apparently this was near my limit, as my stomach was in knots on the way down! Superb views though, so definitely worth it!&rdquo; - ZestyCruiser17980

A 550-million-year-old ride. Sort of. The cable car climbs Gunung Machincang, the oldest rock formation in Southeast Asia&mdash;predating dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years! On a perfectly clear day you can look north to Tarutao National Marine Park in Thailand. But if any gusts of wind exceed safety limits, the cable car&rsquo;s high-tech wind sensors shut it down, occasionally leaving tourists at the tea station for a &ldquo;forced&rdquo; break.

<h2 id="sarajevo-cable-car-bosnia-herzegovina">Sarajevo Cable Car, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina</h2>
Manufacturer: LEITNER AG (Italy)
Objective: Connecting the Bistrik neighborhood in the Old Town to the Vidikovac peak on Mount Trebević
Launch Date: Originally opened May 3, 1959; reconstructed and reopened April 6, 2018
Vertical Ascent: Elevates passengers from 583 m to 1,160 m&nbsp;
Capacity: Each cabin holds 10; capable of transporting 1,200 people per hour
Track Length: About 2,100 meters of cable
Transit Length: 7 to 9 minutes

"Sarajevo, top of the cable car next to the bobsleigh." - Scott
<hr>
"Another vote for Sarajevo" - Ed

Before Bosnia-Herzegovina&rsquo;s brutal war in the 90s, Mount Trebevic was a beloved place of peace for hikers. The cable car&rsquo;s inauguration in 1959 meant greater access to &ldquo;the lungs of the city&rdquo; for all of Sarajevo&rsquo;s residents. And in 1984 it became an important venue for the Winter Olympics, with the <a href="https://www.heartmybackpack.com/blog/olympic-bobsleigh-track-sarajevo-bosnia/">world&rsquo;s most modern bobsleigh track</a> newly built on the mountain&rsquo;s slopes.
Eight years later, the mountain became the enemy when the cable car guard became the first victim of the war in 1992. From the mountaintop, countless bullets rained down on Sarajevo, killing more than 11,500 people during a 1,425-day siege&mdash;the longest blockade of a capital in modern history. After the war, the cable car fell by the wayside until a $4 million donation from an American doctor, Edmond Offerman, and his Bosnian wife, scientist Maja Serdarevic Offerman,&nbsp;<a href="https://snagalokalnog.ba/en/as-dr-edmond-offermann-returned-the-cable-car-to-sarajevo-love-and-his-wife-maja-are-to-blame-for-everything/">revitalized the restoration project</a>.
April 6th, 2018 was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/apr/06/sarajevo-reopened-cable-car-lifts-city-out-of-the-past-bosnia-herzegovina-serb-siege-yugoslavia">the date of revival</a>, an important date marking both the city&rsquo;s WWII liberation and the start of the 1992 siege. The upper station is now named after Ramo Biber, the guard who was tragically shot dead two decades before. At the reopening, Sarajevo's mayor declared, &ldquo;We have renovated the last destroyed symbol of Sarajevo. This is a monument to love.&rdquo;

<h2 dir="ltr">Bonus Rec from the Jack's team: Dursey Island Cable Car, Ireland</h2>
Manufacturer: British Chairlift Company Limited&nbsp;
Objective: Lifeline transport for residents and farmers across the turbulent Dursey Sound
Launch Date: December 5, 1969
Vertical Ascent: Runs approximately 22&ndash;25 meters above the seawater
Capacity: Holds 6 passengers (or 1 person and 1 coffin); transports approx. 48 people per hour
Track Length: About 374 meters across the open sea
Transit Length: 7.5 to 10 minutes

&ldquo;Ireland's only Cable Car sways from the Beara Peninsula, Cork, to Dursey Island. One time the island was inhabited by hundreds of people; now it&rsquo;s home to 4 people and hundreds of sheep! Go early to have time to see the island and keep in mind the last car back is at 7:30 pm. Bring your own food and water (there&rsquo;s no shops on the island). And dress warm.&rdquo; - Henry, Member Experience

During Dursey&rsquo;s booming days, the island was infamously hard to reach, often capsizing boats in its treacherous tides. For that reason, Ireland&rsquo;s only cable car was built, being only one of two in Europe that crosses open water (the other is in Barcelona).&nbsp;
In its glory days, it was the only cable car on the planet that transported not just humans but livestock. Cows and sheep dangled above the Atlantic until 2012, when a health and safety ban was introduced. That said, funerals take absolute priority to this day, so if a coffin needs to cross to the island&rsquo;s burial ground, you better be prepared to wait.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Honorable Mentions</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.christchurchattractions.nz/christchurch-gondola/">Christchurch Gondola, New Zealand</a> - 1,000 meters of pure silence and uninterrupted views of the city and the Southern Alps.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://en.loenskylift.no/">Loen Skylift, Norway</a> - One of the steepest cable cars in the world soars above fjords</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hFklJ3cmzC8">Mi Teleferico, La Paz, Bolivia</a> - The world&rsquo;s longest and highest cable car, used by 200,000 people per day, covering 30 km.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/C9XKiEsEozY">Ngong Ping 360, Hong Kong</a>&nbsp;- This glass-bottom cable car is not for the faint of heart&mdash;but those views!&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=cable+car+great+wall+of+china&amp;oq=cable+car+great+wall&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyCQgBEEUYORiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRg9MgYIBxBFGD3SAQgzNDgzajBqNKgCALACAQ&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&amp;vld=cid:81a81627,vid:pOPNevckhpM,st:0">Mutianyu Great Wall Cable Car , China</a> - A chairlift up and toboggan back down have to be the coolest ways to see one of the world&rsquo;s seven wonders.</li>
</ul>

Cloud Nine, Literally: the World's Coolest Cable Car Rides, As Chosen By the Jack's Community

Hey there, Travellers,
For a long time, I thought I had a fear of heights, but when I really thought about it, that didn't make sense. I love views from the top of mountains and going up towers to look out over a city. I even like being in a plane. Those are all things that involve pretty great heights.
Eventually I realised that it is falling I am scared of; I won't get too close to the cliff edge on that mountain, and grated stairs that you can see through are my idea of a nauseating hell (thanks for that memory, Eiffel Tower). Glass floors? Absolutely not.
But there's one form of personal torture I seem to endure every time I visit a new city: the cable car. I love them and all the blurry photos I get through their windows. But each second I spend in a cable car is one in which I question if these are my last moments alive.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/23ac1ba718d624fd43eb503c72d04c3bedcfebc4" width="403" height="302" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
This is particularly long and drawn out in Tirana, where the&nbsp;<a href="https://dajtiekspres.com/">Dajti Ekspres</a> takes around 15 minutes to cover nearly 5 km. Tbilisi, on the other hand, is swift but kinda steep at first. Part of me is even sad that I missed my chance to ride in the now-retired <a href="https://youtu.be/_IVOuXFmL6g?si=NxCaxKFDCupA3a3C&amp;t=251">Soviet cable cars in Chiatura</a>, Georgia.
With this newly released list of the <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/17/europes-best-cable-cars-rides-coffin-cabins-spectacular-views-26896549/">best cable cars in Europe</a>, I'm left wondering what really makes one among "the best"? Is it indeed the epic alpine views? Or is it essential to have the added reward of knowing you survived when that didn't feel guaranteed?
I want to hear your thoughts on the best (and worst) cable cars in the world, and what it is that actually makes them great! Let me know <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-225-sidequest-like-no-other-flying-flashbacks#comments">in the comments</a>, so I can add more questionable rides to my future travels.
Happy travels and safe landings,

<hr>
Do you need ideas for your next big trip? Are you in need of a particular travel tip? Ask our team, and we'll try to cover it in The Detour soon!

A Side Quest Like No Other: Visiting the Rebel Headquarters of the Zapatistas

I came to San Crist&oacute;bal de las Casas (aka San Cris), a town in the central highlands of Chiapas, with no real purpose. Seduced by its candy-colored murals, I was completely ignorant of their message and its soul&mdash;a ghost of the Zapatista uprising born from the battle in 1994. And like many tourists, I was equally blind to the living, breathing chokehold the cartel had under its red-tiled rooftops. But that&rsquo;s another story.

Fast-forward a month, and the plan&mdash;if you could call it that&mdash;for my day off was hatched over a coffee and a sticky table in the hostel. What can I say? My bucket list was and still is heavily influenced by Atlas Obscura, Anthony Bourdain, and the Swedish &ldquo;shaman&rdquo; with a kuripe pipe in my hostel.&nbsp;
His instructions were simple:

&ldquo;If you want to see the real Chiapas,&rdquo; he said, his voice a low rumble, &ldquo;not the postcard, but the nerve, you should get out to the Zapatistas. 
It&rsquo;s pretty easy; you just have to head outta town a bit, past the main drag in the direction of Mercado Viejo. Keep that market on your right and walk until you hit the dirt road with all the taxis and colectivos. Then just start yelling &ldquo;Oventicccccc!&rdquo; and someone will eventually give you a ride there. Take your passport too.&nbsp;
Your Spanish is decent, right?&rdquo;&nbsp;

Wrong. But off I trotted, excited to add &ldquo;Met the Zapatistas&rdquo; to my weekly family check-in on WhatsApp. I had low expectations; the week before, I visited a sacrificial chicken church and still couldn&rsquo;t look at Coca-Cola the same.&nbsp;
I had hoped, at least, that the woman I met in the market would be happy I&rsquo;d made the effort. Weeks earlier, I&rsquo;d found myself at her stall, a riot of woven colors against the stone street. Among the textiles were black balaclavas, each bearing the letters EZLN. When my curious gaze lingered, she didn&rsquo;t miss a beat.&nbsp;
The scratchy wool was flung over my head, and, before I could even register the letters, her fingers yanked the mask down, poking and prodding at the hole near my eyes. I wasn&rsquo;t going to just observe the symbol; nope, I was going to inhabit it. Stepping back, she gave a satisfied nod, grabbed my camera, and snapped a picture of my now-anonymous, flabbergasted face.

Then, with the swift practicality of any good merchant, she held out her hand.
&ldquo;Cien pesos,&rdquo; she said sternly, &ldquo;for the mask&hellip; Y otro veinte,&rdquo; she added, a glint in her eye. &ldquo;For the photo.&rdquo;
I fumbled in my purse briefly before handing over the cash.
The memory of that borrowed face flickered back to me now as I stood under the blazing sun of a dusty backroad. With my passport safely tucked in my bra and embarrassingly little Spanish, I mimed my way into a dinged-up taxi. Thirty minutes later, we were speeding into the Lacand&oacute;n jungle.

The air was hot and wet. I gazed out my window past the whip of cornfields and banana plants, my mind lost in thought.
An hour into the journey, something shifted. My taxi driver&rsquo;s eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror. His eyes darted back to the road, and by the time we had reached a sign in Spanish marking our arrival, he was sitting bolt upright.
&ldquo;Est&aacute;s en territorio zapatista en rebeld&iacute;a. Aqu&iacute; el pueblo manda y el gobierno obedece.&rdquo;
Translation: &ldquo;You are in Zapatista rebel territory: here, the people rule and the government obeys.&rdquo;

The Zapatistas, in case you didn&rsquo;t know, are an <a href="https://www.thecollector.com/zapatistas-mexican-indigenous-army/">Indigenous-led political movement</a> that rose up in 1994, the same day that the North American Free Trade Agreement came into force. They declared war not just on the Mexican state but on the greater system that had quietly erased them for centuries.&nbsp;
Operating under the name EZLN, they carved out autonomous territories across the highlands of Chiapas, governing themselves through community assemblies, rotating councils, and a deliberate refusal of conventional power. No presidents. No campaigns. No promises. Just collective decision-making, an emphasis on holistic education, healthcare, and land organized from below, whether the Mexican government liked it or not.
We roll to a stop outside the checkpoint, not a soul in sight. The driver twists his shoulder over the tattered leather seats and gives me the universal look for &ldquo;Pay me and get out.&rdquo;&nbsp;
And before it dawned on me that I had only arranged this cushy ride one-way, his tires were spitting gravel back in my face, the sound of his engine dissolving into the green. It was just me and the closed wooden gate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I muster up the courage to knock loudly. Seconds later, the gate opens, and two figures in black ski masks appear. One masked guard moves toward me, his eyes sharp and intense behind the mask. He jerks his chin and says, &ldquo;identificaci&oacute;n.&rdquo; I reach for my ID and hand it over. We inspect each other. He flips through my passport, and I take stock of the rifles casually slung over their shoulders.&nbsp;
My internal monologue pipes up: &ldquo;This is where that famed intuition of yours led you, hardy har har!&rdquo;
&ldquo;A qu&eacute; te dedicas?&rdquo; the rebel grumbles. &ldquo;Shit,&rdquo; says the voice in my head, mentally flipping through the Practice Makes Perfect textbook that I bought last week. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s he saying?&rdquo; I stare blankly back at him, searching for answers in the sluggish heat.&nbsp;
"&iquest;Cu&aacute;l es tu trabajo?"&nbsp;He slows it down like I&rsquo;m five. Or an idiot. Hard to tell which. But at least I know he's asking about what I do for work.
&ldquo;Oh! Soy dentista!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Pause. Flash teeth. Smile.&nbsp;
Working in exchange for cat cuddles and selling crystals on Etsy wasn&rsquo;t on last week&rsquo;s one-page vocabulary list. You know, the one with lawyer, policeman, politician. None of those felt wise to declare while maintaining eye contact with his gun. Dentist it was.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Mm,&rdquo; he says. His mouth tightens, and his eyes slide sideways to the other guard. He takes my passport and turns on his heel. The other guard follows, and they disappear behind the gate, leaving me on the wrong side of silence with nothing but the echo of my own explanation hanging in the air.&nbsp;
The next twenty minutes stretch themselves thin. Sitting on the curb, I take stock. No passport, no cell service, no ride back. Fantastic. At least the faux-shamanic Swede knew where I&rsquo;d gone&mdash;if he wasn&rsquo;t hitching his way to Tulum already.&nbsp;
My gaze settles on the wooden shack opposite, its loose tin roof rattling in the gentle breeze. Not a lick of pine unmarked by revolutionary graffiti.

A thick, defiant, giant mustache dominates the wall, shrinking even the solemn Mexican flag. Emiliano Zapata&rsquo;s unmistakably.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Everything for everyone, nothing for ourselves. Autonomous Rebel Zapatista Municipality.
Good Government Council, the central heart of the Zapatistas before the world. Highlands Zone.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Finally, the guards emerge once more, beckoning me over. &ldquo;No preguntas,&rdquo; he says, warning me not to ask any questions.
My &ldquo;tour&rdquo; was about to begin.&nbsp;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/my-visit-to-the-rebel-headquarters-of-the-zapatistas">Keep reading...</a>

Travel Tales

Supersonic Stories from the Jack's Community

To much fanfare from airlines and aviation museums alike, January 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of Concorde's first commercial flight. Its lifespan was relatively short, with Concorde's final retirement taking place in 2003, but the hype and romance lived on. Ever since, conjecture has swirled about the next commercial supersonic jet, and right now, it's anyone's game.&nbsp;
<a href="https://simpleflying.com/true-boom-overture-fly-as-fast-concorde/">Boom Technology is currently leading the race</a>&nbsp;with a slated 2029 launch for the Boom Overture. That said, the internet is, of course, full of skeptics doubting it'll ever come to fruition. Meanwhile, NASA is developing a smaller jet designed to break the sound barrier <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/quesst-the-mission/">without that almighty&nbsp;BOOM</a>, and Spike Aerospace is looking to make <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/spike-s-512-supersonic-diplomat/">day trips to Dubai</a> a reality for business passengers.
But until we see any passengers actually embarking on another barrier-breaking flight, we'll have to live vicariously through memories from <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-cabin-interiors">Concorde's plush interiors</a>. Here are some of the tales that the Jack's Flight Club community had to share:

"I was fortunate enough to have a flight on&nbsp;Concorde, a gift from my then husband, for passing my commercial pilot's licence! 
It was in October 1992 and he could not come with me, so I took my seven-year-old stepson for the experience of a lifetime!&nbsp;We flew to Lisbon briefly going supersonic over the Bay of Biscay, and I was allowed to visit the flight deck THREE times! Once as a regular passenger, the second because I had a child with me, and the THIRD time because I was a pilot! The Captain actually signed my logbook!
The return flight was by TAP in a normal airline! Took twice as long!!
Since that time, I have got to know about six or seven Concorde pilots, and I feel privileged to have been able to travel just the once on the most beautiful aircraft ever designed and built. 
Kind regards" - Dorothy
<hr>
"Hello You asked for memories of flying Concorde and I was lucky enough (and old enough!) to fly to New York for New Year's Eve in 2001! BA did an offer of LHR to NYC supersonic one way and Business Class return for &pound;2001!. In those days you had to call up, and we got through the avalanche of callers to bag a pair of tickets.
Unfortunately, I had a night out before the trip and arrived at LHR first class lounge with a raging hangover and unable to enjoy the free premium champagne and canap&eacute;s. The flight was delightful, although the cabin was tiny by today's standards and seats on the small size. Not sure today's wider passengers would have been that comfortable. The food and service were lovely and the speed display in the cabin showed when the aircraft hit Mach 1.00 and broke the sound barrier. Traditionally, the passengers would cheer at this point.
Takeoff and landing were incredibly noisy in the cabin and the G force of take off much like a catapult. Finally, it was amazing landing in New York before our take-off time in London!&nbsp; 
This is my one memory that has given me kudos and bragging rights with my kids. Happy days! Best wishes and keep up the great work. Love bagging a bargain flight even if they are all sub sonic!" - Jo

"Greetings from Ontario:
My late husband and I enjoyed the privilege of flying on the Air France Concorde back in 1980. It was a phenomenal experience.
So sad that it no longer exists.
Thanks for the memories" - Yvonne, Niagara-on-the-Lake
<hr>
"Hi there, 
Yes, I was fortunate enough to fly from Bahrain to LHR on Concorde at the end of 1976. I was flying back to England to get married (I worked in Saudi Arabia). 
We were invited into the Cockpit (my fianc&eacute; was interested, I was less so!). We all had to move up to the front of the plane for takeoff but then returned to our own seats once we levelled out. 
I remember being surprised at how narrow the plane seemed in comparison with the Jumbo Jet. I still have my certificate after all these years! 
It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and I was so sad when they decided to withdraw the Concorde from service. 
Kind regards" - Molly&nbsp;

Thanks so much for sharing your stories, Travellers.&nbsp;
If anyone else has memories to share from the first age of supersonic travel, we'd love to hear them&mdash;stinking hangovers and all! <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-225-sidequest-like-no-other-flying-flashbacks#comments">Tell us all about it</a> in the comments :-)

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.
<ul>
<li>The famous "Lover's Arch" in Puglia, Italy <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd8elz20jpo">collapsed and fell into the sea on Valentine's Day</a>. Couples who got engaged that day are welcome to pretend this is totally&nbsp;not a bad omen. </li>
<li>Route 66 celebrates its 100th birthday this year! The iconic American highway stretches all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica, but <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/geography/wanderlust/route-66-must-visit-attractions">Mental Floss picked a few highlights</a>.&nbsp; </li>
<li>Here's a story that's begging for a pun on the word "high": British Airways has launched an investigation after three crew members <a href="https://simpleflying.com/british-airways-cabin-crew-hospitalized-eating-marijuana-gummies-passenger/">(accidentally) took marijuana gummies</a> between flights.&nbsp; </li>
<li>Tourism is growing again, just about matching pre-pandemic rates&mdash;but not where you might expect. The BBC broke down why spots like Bhutan and Ethiopia are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20260212-where-tourism-is-growing-fastest-in-2026">driving the new surge</a>. </li>
<li>And finally, two passengers <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1l7vrj6z31o">have been given a lifetime ban from Jet2</a> after getting into a drunken brawl on a flight back from Antalya. Now that's what we call "beating a Jet2 holiday!"</li>
</ul>

A Side Quest Like No Other & Flying Flashbacks 

If someone asked you to visit a paramilitary encampment deep in the Mexican jungle, would you?
I did.

&ldquo;This is my town, race of brave people who with a stone overthrows castles. There is no gun more effective than truth in thought.&rdquo;
Blame it on my insatiable curiosity or the restless stupidity I&rsquo;ve still yet to subdue; they&rsquo;re the same, both friend and foe, luring me to head out on some pretty questionable side quests during my time here on earth.&nbsp;
Like waving goodbye to my soul-sucking 9-5 desk job in favor of harem pants and Central American hostels. Or marrying a 6-ft-something prepper-turned-fugitive without shoes. Or worse, growing dreads (we don&rsquo;t talk about that one).&nbsp;
Anyway, without a hardcore Jungian to unravel my twenties, let&rsquo;s just chalk it up to the fact that I was growing weary of my surroundings in San Crist&oacute;bal de las Casas and had a day off work (if you could even call it that; at the time I was volunteering in a hostel in exchange for a bunk&mdash;they had two resident cats; I was a simple girl).
Intuition brought me here. I had no intention whatsoever of even stepping foot in Mexico as a green solo female traveler, but Guatemala&rsquo;s &ldquo;expat&rdquo; (I hate using that word) bubble of Lake Atitl&aacute;n began to grate on me, and I needed a change.&nbsp;

Originally, I was gearing up to climb the volcano Acatenango. It&rsquo;s a 2-day hike, where at the top, you can camp under the stars while watching its neighbor, Fuego, erupt in near-constant spurts of scarlet rubies. The hike was paid for. All I needed to do was hop in a colectivo and say a prayer that my nature-adverse legs would get me to the top.&nbsp;
But at the eleventh hour, something in my gut told me&mdash;or I should say screamed at me&mdash;not to go.
And let me tell you, I&rsquo;m glad I listened. Later that day, Fuego would erupt in a colossal billow of&nbsp; black ash and smoke, its molten fury killing hundreds in what would be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Volc%C3%A1n_de_Fuego_eruption">the deadliest eruption since 1902</a>.&nbsp;
When someone tells you to trust your instincts, that&rsquo;s what they mean.
So when, instead, I found myself clutching a last-minute bus ticket to the Mexican border, I had no choice but to do just that.&nbsp;
I came to San Cris, a town in the central highlands of Chiapas, with no real purpose. Seduced by its candy-colored murals, I was completely ignorant of their message and its soul&mdash;a ghost of the Zapatista uprising born from the battle in 1994. And like many tourists, I was equally blind to the living, breathing chokehold the cartel had under its red-tiled rooftops. But that&rsquo;s another story.

A thick, defiant, giant mustache dominates the wall, shrinking even the solemn Mexican flag. Emiliano Zapata&rsquo;s unmistakably.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Everything for everyone, nothing for ourselves. Autonomous Rebel Zapatista Municipality.
Good Government Council, the central heart of the Zapatistas before the world. Highlands Zone.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Finally, the guards emerge once more, beckoning me over. &ldquo;No preguntas,&rdquo; he says, warning me not to ask any questions.
My &ldquo;tour&rdquo; was about to begin.&nbsp;

I wish I could tell you that I walked away with heaps of knowledge. That this clueless backpacker was now uber-informed and could tell you with certainty about their de facto self-governing communities.&nbsp;
Or about their parallel systems of governance, education, and healthcare built deliberately outside the Mexican state. About the caracoles, the Good Government Councils, and the way authority rotates so no one clings to it for too long.
But with the invitation to enter into buildings or to ask questions revoked, I left with more questions (and photographs) than answers. Research has since allowed me to fill in some of those gaps to accompany the photographs:

"A world where many worlds fit.&rdquo;
The community is the classroom: Zapatista education was democratically formed in 2001 when indigenous communities withdrew their children from Mexico&rsquo;s official school system due to racism, violence, and suppression of indigenous language and identity. In response, they built an autonomous community-run system known as&nbsp;<a href="https://abahlali.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Educate-in-resistance_-the-autonomous-Zapatista-schools-1.pdf">&ldquo;True Education&rdquo;.</a>&nbsp;
Here education focuses on blending the original curriculum with indigenous history, environmental care, and prioritization of social justice over individualism. Central to this is gender equality, as students learn about women&rsquo;s rights and autonomy, enabling girls to challenge early marriages and take on leadership roles within their community.

One mural stopped me longer than the others. The back of an Indigenous woman filled the wall, her braids thick and her face withheld&mdash;deliberately, no doubt. A vibrant heart pulsing against the white fabric of her blouse, not romantic but rebellious. Above her, a sun unfurling around a serpent, a clear echo of Mesoamerican cosmology so old it predates the nation-state entirely. 
&ldquo;Yaj jk&rsquo;opojel,&rdquo; words in Tzotzil, a Mayan language spoken widely in this area of Mexico, meaning &ldquo;collective dignity.&rdquo; No rifles or slogans shouted at you. Just a reminder that this rebellion at its core is about survival, history, and who gets to define both.

Reducing everything to a single sentence. &ldquo;Somos Raiz&rdquo;,&nbsp; &ldquo;We are the root&rdquo;. Not the seed, not the harvest, but the root. When pulled, the land collapses.&nbsp;
This reminded me of a conversation I had with a local a few days before. He told me that mythologically, many Mexicans believed people to be made from corn. The story went that the Aztec gods mixed corn with their own blood to create humans. &ldquo;We eat it, but we are it. It&rsquo;s what makes us who we are.&rdquo;

Another mural packing a punch. There&rsquo;s no ambiguity here. A lone figure standing defiantly in front of a wall of riot police, their shields multiplying into a single force. Above them hover helmeted profiles, one marked &ldquo;Canad&aacute;,&rdquo; stretching the blame to foreign governments and extractive industries far beyond Chiapas.
I notice the medicine wheel on the figure&rsquo;s chest, holding its ground against batons and body armor. To the side, a verdict is written plainly: &ldquo;Soap to cleanse capitalism. Effective against the government&hellip; and thus, cruelty.&rdquo;

&ldquo;The office of women for dignity.&rdquo; Here, women lead workshops and coordinate programs to improve literacy and economic skills. Sessions on women&rsquo;s reproductive rights and strengthening solidarity networks happen underneath this tin roof. 
During the rebellion in 1994,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_EZLN">women played a crucial role</a> both on the front lines and behind the scenes. They fought alongside men, organized logistics, and shaped the movement's vision of gender equality.

&ldquo;Long live the struggles of the Kurds and the Zapatistas&rdquo;

&ldquo;Office of the autonomous municipality of Magdalena de la Paz.&rdquo; The administrative and political center of this specific self-governing Zapatista community in Chiapas (in which there are 12 regional centers and 55 municipalities). Inside, discussions on community governance, resource management, and social programs all happen under the watchful eye of Emiliano Zapata.&nbsp;
After snapping the last picture of the murals, my mute comrade leads me to the entrance, waving to go through one building on the way out. &ldquo;Finally,&rdquo; I thought, &ldquo;I get to see inside!&rdquo;
It was a gift shop. Revolutionary posters and balaclavas. CDs and magnets. All splayed out on a long, rickety table in front of me. I couldn&rsquo;t help but smile.&nbsp;
Stepping back out onto the street, I turned to face the door and whispered a quiet &ldquo;Gracias.&rdquo; The masked man looked at me for a second, opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, deciding against it, closing the gate shut behind me.&nbsp;
Outside, the sky was beginning to bleed into evening. I walked out onto the dirt road toward a small village, hoping to hitch a ride back to San Cris. But from the corner of my eye, I spy a beat-up blue Toyota tailing me. It pulls up, and two men lean forward from the shadows of bandanas and balaclavas, vehemently shaking their heads. &ldquo;No. Back.&rdquo;
I high-tailed it back along the road I came up, the niggling question louder than the cicadas humming in the heat: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s down there?&rdquo; 
I had come here seeking another notch in the traveler's belt, a story to tell my family, a glimpse into a life so foreign from my own. But I walked away with more questions than answers: what is power really? And whose power counts?
Sure, the Mexican state doesn&rsquo;t recognize the Zapatista&rsquo;s sovereignty. But does it have to? Perhaps they have indeed won&mdash;not by seizing power, but by rendering it meaningless to begin with.&nbsp;
Hand raised, thumb out, dust clinging to my shoes, a phrase from the murals circled back.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Un otro mundo es posible.&rdquo;
Another world is possible.&nbsp;

My Visit to the Rebel Headquarters of the Zapatistas

<a href="https://sallysees.com/san-cristobal-de-las-casas/">San Crist&oacute;bal de las Casas</a> lies in the heart of Chiapas, the final frontier in Mexico.
And with streets lined with colorful Crayola buildings, it&rsquo;s by far the best base for <a href="https://www.alajode.com/chiapas-waterfalls-agua-azul-el-chiflon-other-unmissable-waterfalls-in-chiapas-mexico/">explorations into the jungle</a>. The city is 2,200 meters above sea level, so dress warmly and expect mountain weather.
There&rsquo;s a seriously artsy and bohemian spirit here, mostly due to its proximity to the "gringo trail" snaking through the highlands and down toward Guatemala.&nbsp;
It's the sort of place where one wrong turn and instead of checking out the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museo-de-la-medicina-maya-mayan-medicine-museum">Mayan medicine museum</a>, you've ended up in an ecstatic dance with another type of "medicina" thrust your way.&nbsp;
Everywhere you go, you&rsquo;ll see reminders of the Zapatista movement&mdash;in Mexico, most graffiti holds deep political messages, and Chiapas is no exception. For those of you keen on learning more about the state&rsquo;s political history, you can head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kinoki.com.mx/">Kinoki Cultural Forum</a>, which offers regular film and documentary screenings on the topic.
Alternatively, you can also take part in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freewalkingsancristobal.com/">English-speaking free walking tour</a> to learn more about the town's history, including the 1994 uprising.&nbsp;
Mercado de Artesanias is a must; its maze of market stalls is chock-full of indigenous-made textiles, jewelry, and <a href="https://alcvin.ca/ryuzen/the-magical-of-mexican-amber-of-chiapas/">Chiapas amber</a>&mdash;some of the best in the world.&nbsp;
Actually, scratch that. Two things better than Chiapas amber? <a href="https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexico-living/san-cris-coffee-chocolate-haven/">Cacao &amp; Coffee</a>. Being in the land of the Olmecs and the Maya, it's no surprise. You'll find heaps of chocolaterias and coffee shops to weave in and out of. But my favorite spot to grab a cup on the go is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carajillocafe.com/">Carajillo</a>, located on the main tourist drag, Real de Guadeloupe.&nbsp;
For brunch, I've got a soft spot for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/frontera_cafe/?hl=en">La Frontera's</a> laid-back courtyard, shared with a few other businesses like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/la.espirituosa/">La Espirituosa</a>! Here, you can taste Chiapas&rsquo; traditional liquor, &lsquo;pox&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s pronounced &lsquo;posh&rsquo; and it&rsquo;s made from corn &mdash; it&rsquo;s a lot tastier than it sounds.
And finally, you'd be a fool not to pay a visit to the magnificent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/tabasco-and-chiapas/attractions/palenque-ruins/a/poi-sig/1048343/1334125">Mayan ruins of Palenque</a>, which sit in the heart of the jungle.
This ancient city was abandoned some time in the 8th century &mdash; while you can visit several temples and Mayan pyramids, it's estimated that a good 95% of the ruins are still buried within the surrounding rainforest.

After You Land: San Cristobal de las Casa, Mexico 

Guatemala

Netherlands

Spain

Finland

Fiji

France

Sri Lanka

Hey there Travellers,
Like much of the world this week, Katy's off on holiday, so I get the special honor of sending out the first Detour of 2026 🎉
New Year's Eve, for many folks, is a time of reflection! It's the perfect excuse to dig through some old memories and take stock of those meaningful moments.&nbsp;
So that's our theme for this week: memories.&nbsp;This Detour is chock full of them &mdash; from this year's highlights, to nostalgic travel tattoos from trips long past.&nbsp;
Let's make 2026 another great year, Travellers! And let us know in the comments which travel memories you're hoping to create in the next twelve months &mdash; maybe we can help :-)
Wishing you a safe and happy New Year,

Olivia - Sub-Editor of the Detour

Permanent Souvenirs: Our Travel Tattoo Tales&nbsp;

You know a trip is worthwhile when that bittersweet thought crosses your mind: I wish I could bottle up this moment and keep it forever.
It&rsquo;s the feeling that drives souvenir sales and fills up your photo albums, but for travelers who&nbsp;really want to keep those memories close, there&rsquo;s another option &mdash; having that memory permanently added to your body.
Despite the discomfort of traveling with a fresh tattoo, getting inked on the road is a time-honored tradition. Captain Cook&rsquo;s sailors are said to have returned home from Polynesia sporting some new body art. Even 700 years ago, religious pilgrims to the Middle Eastern Holy Land were <a href="https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1235759">getting small tattoos as evidence of their journey</a>. By the 19th century, the list of folks with travel tattoos even included <a href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/japan-courts-and-culture/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/features/royal-tattoos">British royalty</a>.&nbsp;
Nowadays, there&rsquo;s an entire culture built up around travel tattoos. Some shops in touristy areas even&nbsp;depend on the demand. And just like in centuries past, there are still a myriad of motivations behind the decision.&nbsp;

During my (rather formative) few months in New Orleans, I realized I&rsquo;d regret it forever if I didn&rsquo;t leave that city with an inked reminder. Next thing I knew, I was face-down on a leather table, surrounded by NOLA-typical spiritual decor, while a stranger put me through excruciating pain for so long that I felt like my soul was leaving my body.
Unfortunately, in my case, that meant I was having a panic attack, desperately trying to keep still while hyperventilating and gasping through the pain. I tried to focus on a fixed point in the room to ground myself, but ended up locking eyes with a large, weeping statue of Santa Maria. It seemed less unnerving than the taxidermied animals, the bloody crucifixes, or the clutter of figurines stuck with nails or covered in bones and teeth.&nbsp;
When it was finally over, I paid the artist with shaking hands and basically ran out of the shop. I cannot even describe the headspace I was in. The relief was so strong that I felt like an entirely new person. All I wanted was a drink and a place to sit down.
Fortunately, that&rsquo;s not a tall order in New Orleans &mdash; I popped over to Bourbon Street and entered the first bar I saw.&nbsp;

Midway through a whisky, while listening to a bartender&rsquo;s story, I realized my new tattoo had started bleeding. There was a gruesome, oozy red smear running down my leg and trickling onto the floor of the bar.
&ldquo;Sorry, could I just get a napkin?&rdquo; I say, interrupting the bartender. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m bleeding onto your floor.&rdquo;
She casually handed me a napkin without even pausing her story. She had no reaction at all to hearing a patron say they were bleeding onto the floor of her bar at 2pm on a Monday.&nbsp;
I guess that&rsquo;s business as usual on Bourbon Street!
The tattoo has long since healed, but whenever I look at it, I remember what a wild time it was. I had no idea it would be that intense, but I&rsquo;m honored to have been given such a distinctly NOLA experience &mdash; one that really embodies the chaotic excitement of my time in the city. It&rsquo;s how I got hooked on travel tattoos!
So, as a person with so much access to well-seasoned travelers who understand the value of overseas memories, I just&nbsp;had to ask the Jack&rsquo;s Flight Club staff and Community for a few more tales.
And I heard some great ones! Like the new tradition started by our reader Zo&euml; and her wife, which started out as a space-saving measure:

&ldquo;My wife and I have a tradition of getting a tattoo on every *far* trip. Makes the long haul flight home worth it&hellip; Wanting to collect &lsquo;souvenirs&rsquo; whilst living in a small flat at the time was the original inspiration. We&rsquo;ve collected them from Thailand, Bali, and Singapore so far. Many more on the travel wishlist.&rdquo; - Zo&euml;

Or our Jack&rsquo;s Navigator Henry&rsquo;s story, about a priceless memorial that only cost &euro;15:

&ldquo;When I was 19/20, I lived in Spain and became friends with a good group of people. I moved back when someone at home died, but while I was at home, one of my friends in Spain died (very tragic, I know). So when I came back to visit my friends, one of them mentioned that another guy was starting off as a tattoo artist, and he needed guinea pigs to get the business&nbsp; going, so I said I would volunteer one night we were out. So the next day, we went to Seville and got this done. It is of course the song of Liverpool Football Club. But the tattoo is actually for everyone who is no longer with us. The words of the song make more sense than whatever I will say here 😂 It took 3 hours and cost 15 euro.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Henry

Our writer Akasha&rsquo;s tales of stick n&rsquo; pokes in Central American hostels could probably fill an entire novel:

"After almost an hour with my face wedged in the crook of an old Maltese man&rsquo;s pungent armpit as he bent over backwards attempting to tattoo my ribcage, eighteen-year-old me was hooked.&nbsp;
'For each country I visit, I&rsquo;m going to get a tattoo to commemorate it,' I excitedly told my boyfriend at the time. He rolled his eyes. He was the typical Irish lad, one that would 'go on holidays' once every 5 years to Benidorm or Magaluf. Something about the Irish pubs there.
He probably didn&rsquo;t expect that by my twenties, I&rsquo;d be lying on a sagging mattress in the jungles of Guatemala, a Czech apprentice straddling my torso, carving her gun of pain into my arm for four hours without a break.
Or that I&rsquo;d let a French guy hand-poke a reiki symbol onto my wrist in exchange for covering a bar shift.&nbsp;
Stick and poke became my preferred way. So naturally, my ears perked up when a German tattooist blew into the hostel I worked at in Chiapas. It&rsquo;d take me a few weeks to propose a trade he simply couldn&rsquo;t refuse: I&rsquo;d bleach his dreadlocks in return for some artwork."

"This was probably my most painful one. Not from the needle but from the cup of rubbing alcohol he poured over my raw skin, and the violent slap that followed. A sick and twisted joke because it was midnight and I couldn&rsquo;t scream without waking the hostel guests.
And while I haven&rsquo;t managed to stay true to my promise of getting inked everywhere I&rsquo;ve wandered, I&rsquo;ve done a pretty good job of collecting permanent stamps.
Mostly, the ink I&rsquo;ve gotten along the way is a map itself - of the girl who showed up clueless and curious, reckless and scared, but booked the ticket anyway."&nbsp;- Akasha

And lastly, our Detour queen Katy shared the story of her first tattoo, a remnant of a teenage adventure in the Netherlands:

"When I finished high school, I didn&rsquo;t go on the big group trip clubbing in Ayia Napa. That wasn&rsquo;t my thing at all. I wanted to see some of the world before starting university, not just the inside of a bar, surrounded by people I&rsquo;d mostly never see again.&nbsp;
Instead, myself and some of my closest friends decided to go Interrailing around Europe for 5 weeks. As is common when leaving high school in Scotland, most of us were only 17 at the time. We couldn&rsquo;t even (legally) drink in bars at home, so a month of European rules was exciting. And when we realised that we&rsquo;d even be old enough to get tattooed in The Netherlands&hellip;
Well, let&rsquo;s just say a few of us decided to give it a go &mdash; a fact my mum only found out three years later, when I was lazily lying in bed with my leg hanging out from under the sheets.
When getting your first tattoo, there&rsquo;s a lot of pressure to make it meaningful, so I opted for something I knew would always be important to me &mdash; music. I was right, playing music is still part of my life. But perhaps more important is the fact that I got it while on a memorable adventure with people who are still part of my life."&nbsp;- Katy

When I look at all of these stories together, there&rsquo;s a common thread: Most things in life are temporary. People enter and exit, chapters close, and that return flight is always rapidly approaching. I can go back to New Orleans, but I can&rsquo;t go back to that trip. Travel, by definition, has to be ephemeral.&nbsp;
We might be staking our money, time, and energy on a very short-lived experience, but we often return home permanently changed. I think travel tattoos owe their prolonged popularity to that change &mdash; they can help make the outside match the inside.
So if you feel the same, and have a travel tattoo (or several) of your own, feel free to send them our way. Maybe you&rsquo;ll see them in part two :-)

Jack's Gone Global: Where We Went in 2025

As you might expect, the Jack's staff is always jetsetting around the world! 2025 was no different &mdash; We traveled everywhere from the Caribbean to the Arctic Circle.&nbsp;
Here's a few highlights from another fantastic year of travel...

<h2 id="lapland">Lapland</h2>
Hannah Deals &amp; Content

&ldquo;We took a day-trip over to the <a href="https://arcticsnowhotel.fi/en/">Arctic SnowHotel </a>during our trip, as well as snowmobiled through the forests, and took reindeer and husky rides on a tour with the Snowmobile Park company &mdash; they were great and included proper snow gear in their prices, so would highly recommend.
And last but not least, the northern lights! While you can hunt for them on a guided tour, it gets pricey. Instead, we stayed just outside of the city (towards Ounasvaara) in an AirBnB and were lucky enough to spot them dancing above the house most nights we were there.&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">Fiji</h2>
Larissa Deal &amp; Content Manager EU

&ldquo;Fiji was such a surprise to me! I went for a family celebration and didn&rsquo;t have many expectations (given I knew a lot of the holiday would be resort-bound), but we managed to do a decent amount in Nadi and the surrounding <a href="https://www.koroyanituheritagepark.org/plan-your-trip">Koroyanitu National Heritage Park</a>. My highlights were DIY-ing a hike through the park to an incredible waterfall lookout, and visiting the <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Qs6PyZGqz5nm2PF9A">Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple</a> - the intricate paintwork inside was incredible!&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">France &amp; Scotland</h2>
Andrea Member Experience Team Leader

&ldquo;My trip to France and Scotland healed parts of me I didn't know needed healing. The little girl in me who thought she might never make it to Europe and visit her dream city and the grown girl in me that found her soul city.
My favorite moment of my adventures was being able to see and touch the Eiffel Tower. I knew that I would cry the moment I laid eyes on her and I very much did! LOL The tears were joy and marvel and finally realizing that I did it, I made it, I was standing in Paris!! I was looking at a monument I had only seen in books and movies. I checked a place off of a very long bucket list. I had macarons and croissants from French boulangeries and strolled along streets with beautiful architecture. I spoke terribly broken French from the years of Duolingo that I had been doing and I was out of this world happy.
However. My favorite place was Scotland. I had never traveled and felt at home anywhere the way I did there. The buildings, history, slight gloom and chill in the air. The beautiful stone streets and castles, this was my place. A place I felt very happy and comfortable, where I could wander for hours and not feel tired. I am still day dreaming about my time there and thinking of the things I want to do and see when I go back. It was on my bucket list and still is. There's so much more I need to see and experience (highland coos, for example!)&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">Sri Lanka</h2>
Fran&nbsp;Deals &amp; Content/Social Media

&ldquo;We loved our train experiences in Sri Lanka, and we&rsquo;d suggest every curious traveller give it a try at some point. I even wrote <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/the-truth-about-traveling-by-train-in-sri-lanka">an honest guide</a> about it. It sparked our curiosity to venture beyond the tourist-packed routes and discover the more authentic, less crowded journeys in the future.&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">St. Croix</h2>
Olivia&nbsp;Deals &amp; Content/Detour Sub-Editor

&ldquo;The highlight was definitely the Cruzan Rum Distillery, which you can read more about <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-179-st-croix-historic-distillery">in my article here</a>. Between the informative tour, the historic setting, our lovely guide, and drinks enjoyed at a breezy, palm-lined patio bar, we couldn&rsquo;t have been more pleased. There&rsquo;s a reason every guide to St. Croix name-drops this spot, and I can happily add myself to its list of fans&rdquo;

<h2 id="lapland">The Netherlands</h2>
Gabi Product Team

&ldquo;I had such a great time in the Netherlands. I started off in <a href="https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/discover-the-netherlands/visit-the-cities/the-hague">Den Haag</a>, where I decided to try haring (the famous raw herring, just a full fish) which not everyone loves but I&rsquo;m absolutely crazy for (I really love pickled stuff). I spent the rest of my time wandering around the city center, renting bikes with nerdy names, and cycling to some pretty spots like Haagse Bos. That same day I rode all the way to Scheveningen, which turned out to be a super lovely beach with a big pier. I sat there with a hot Chocomel in hand, feeling very Dutch. It also POURED rain the minute I hopped on the bike.&rdquo;

How about our readers? Where did you travel in 2025? Let us know in the comments :-)

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Unfortunately, we have to start the year off with some tragic news: Chaos in Machu Picchu as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gweww8rjro">two trains collided</a> last Tuesday, causing one death and injuring 40 others.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">On a more hopeful note, National Geographic released their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/travel-adventures-best-trips-to-book-2026">top 20 picks for adventures to take in 2026</a>. The key words? &ldquo;Immersive&rdquo; and &ldquo;Transformative.&rdquo;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sicily&rsquo;s Mount Etna has been in a bit of a turbulent mood lately, but that&rsquo;s not stopping the local skiers from <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cz7n4px7e41o">hitting her slopes</a>.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Central Asia <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/12/22/kobyz-and-the-yurt-central-asias-living-knowledge-enters-unescos-intangible-heritage-lists">got some love from UNESCO</a> as a regional stringed instrument and a style of yurt both got added to the organization&rsquo;s list of intangible cultural heritage.</li>
<li>And finally, got any questions about life at an Antarctic research station? Now&rsquo;s the time to ask &mdash; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/climate/thwaites-glacier-expedition-antarctica.html">the NYT is heading on down</a>, and they want to know what you want to know.</li>
</ul>

Mexico

$202 RT

Cancún in $380s-$390s RT

Around Mexico in $180s-$290s RT

$486 RT

CA$497-CA$497 RT

Mexico & El Salvador in $190s-$350s RT