This week we celebrate World Heritage day and the many wonderful UNESCO World Heritage sites scattered across the globe. This summer, new sites will join the list after the pandemic put a pause on the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2020. Only recently visited by humanity, Antarctica doesn’t have any entries on the list (though New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands made the cut). These are the most popular World Heritage sites on each continent. The best part is you can visit several of these now or in the near future. Peru, Tanzania and U.S. national parks are open, and France is finalizing plans to welcome vaccinated travelers starting in May. Consult your travel advisor for details on COVID protocols in each destination.

Even to the people we call the ancients, Egypt was ancient. The pyramids at Giza had lorded over the Western Desert for two thousand years before the Roman Republic was founded, let alone the empire. The mysteries of the Land of the Pharaohs have intrigued travelers as illustrious as Alexander the Great, who founded Alexandria and conveniently discovered he was the son of a god and rightful ruler of Egypt on a visit to the oasis at Siwa. The fertile Land of the Nile and its queen Cleopatra VII captivated prominent Romans Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and became the breadbasket of the empire.

Myth and daily life are so intertwined in Greek life you can’t help but lose yourself in time and space. Each place you visit has thousands of years of documented civilization to go with a collection of legends about ancient gods, goddesses and heroes who were timeless even to the people who lived all those years ago. In several areas, the people were said to be born from the very earth itself, having come from there and nowhere else. Wherever you go in Greece, the people are very into being Greek and into their traditions.

If you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you’re once again welcome in Iceland. With official paper or electronic proof of vaccination, Americans can skip testing and quarantine requirements in the land of fire and ice. The decision to allow vaccinated visitors from outside the Schengen zone is another sign that the world is reopening. If you’re not yet vaccinated but have proof of prior infection, you can skip testing and quarantine too.

Belize might not be a large country, even by Central American standards, but there are so many layers it’s worth a deep dive — and not just into the Great Blue Hole, which none other than Jacques Cousteau declared one of the best SCUBA sites in the world.

There will be a lot of freeing feelings in the upcoming months. There will be the feeling that comes with being vaccinated. There will be the feeling that comes as restaurants open for indoor dining at full capacity, the feeling of gathering in a crowd to watch a game, a show or just to be among people again. There will be the feeling of international borders across the world reopening.

If you ever went to summer camp, you no doubt have fond memories of days filled with outdoor activity followed by nights around the campfire gazing up at the stars. You can bring that wonder back for your family — with a much more comfortable sleeping arrangement than you had in your younger days — with these getaways. They’re close enough to get to without needing your passport, but they’re full of enough magic to transport you back in time.

In Horatio Nelson’s time, the safe harbors and protective reef that define Antigua’s 95 miles of coastline made for a great Caribbean base for the Royal Navy. Today, those same characteristics make the island ideal for a romantic getaway. The sailing is still fantastic, with consistent trade winds nearly all year round and Sailing Week a big draw in non-pandemic times. But those deep-set bays make for the perfect vantage point to take in the essence of the Caribbean: Brilliant blue water laps onto soft white sand and the coral reef beckons you out to see what’s beneath the surface.

While we’re optimistic about more countries opening up and the return of international travel on a large scale starting in the fall, there are plenty of incredible options right here in the U.S. for a family vacation this summer and into the fall. These coast-to-coast options have plenty of activities to keep kids of all ages occupied and entertained, and they represent only a few of the wonderful places to forge indelible family memories.

With more than a million vaccinations per day and the number steadily rising but COVID-19 still very much a part of our lives, travelers are wondering, “Should I stay or should I go?” It’s not a decision we can make for you, but we are certainly here to answer whatever questions you have in planning your vacation. Ultimately, it comes down to your comfort level.

As for where you can go right now, we are on top of that ever-changing list. The major changes lately include the closure of French overseas departments such as French Polynesia, St. Barth’s and the French half of St. Martin. It’s also possible to visit the UK and Ireland without the long quarantines that had been part of their protocols since last spring. You do still have to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival and isolate for at least five days then have another negative test to explore either country, but that’s shorter than 14 days. Children 6 and under for Ireland and 10 and under for the UK are exempt from testing. Botswana has joined the list of safari destinations open, requiring a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure.

With snow piled on the ground outside or an icy wind blowing all around, it’s only natural that your thoughts turn to getting away. To a cold drink by the pool as the tropical sun warms you. To a morning game drive on safari as the savannah awakens to a new day. To arrival in a Mediterranean port and the anticipation of roaming the streets of an ancient city. There’s never a bad time for travel dreaming, but these are the days when we hold those dreams especially dear.

With so many international borders closed, our thoughts turn to a tropical island paradise in the Pacific you don’t need a passport to visit. Your choice of island in Hawaii has always been important and tailored to the type of your experience you’re looking for, as each has its own unique style and charm. With COVID-19 restrictions, the choice and order of islands you visit is more important than ever, as requirements vary.

As you may have heard, starting Jan. 26 all travelers flying into the U.S. will need to present proof of a negative PCR, NAT or antigen COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of your flight’s departure. Or, if you have tested positive for COVID in the previous three months, you can submit a note from a health provider or public health official authorizing you to travel.

The rules around travel change so quickly and so frequently that it can be overwhelming to keep up. The latest order from the CDC, however, might be the most important one yet, as it affects every passenger age 2 and older entering the U.S. by air. Beginning Jan. 26th, every single passenger flying into the U.S. will be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test or proof of having recovered from the disease. This applies to U.S. citizens and foreigners alike, no matter where in the world they’re arriving from.

There are few places in the world where you’ll spot friendlier faces than Jamaica. “There’s nothing better than a Jamaican,” says Karen Bull of Island Luxe, Places of Personality, which represents resorts across the Caribbean and Bermuda. “They’re the warmest, most beautiful people.” Bull, a native Bermudian and the “Queen of the Caribbean,” knows of what she speaks.

“Its authenticity, its rawness, it’s the real deal,” Bull says of Jamaica. “A lot of islands have come into tourism of late. Jamaica was born into this.”

When the calendar turns, our phones usually start ringing. January is normally a very busy time in the travel industry. People gather over the holidays, finish out the old year and turn their attention to what adventures the new year will bring. Some of them want to get away as soon as they can to get away from the cold weather (and maybe delete any unpleasant experiences with unruly relatives over the holidays from their memories). Others want to get away for spring break or plan a summer vacation.

Here it is, our final post of 2020. Goodbye and good riddance. Let us turn our attention to the days ahead in the new year, when vaccines are widely available and we can travel the globe once more. We’re looking forward to so many things in 2021, so many celebrations large and small. From just meeting up with friends at a restaurant on a whim to journeys we’ve had in mind for a lifetime.

COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out nationwide, and over the next few months will be widely available. Soon international borders will reopen and we’ll be free to travel the world once more. It’s time to dream of travel again, and to make plans to make those dreams come true.

If you or a loved one had a wedding scheduled in 2020, odds are it didn’t go exactly according to plan. You might have rescheduled at least once. You might have gone ahead with the ceremony, but with a lot fewer attendees than you planned. Maybe you just made it legal and will stage the main event when it’s safe to do so. No matter what, you still have your eyes on that honeymoon.

In just a few hours’ flight from the East Coast you can surround yourself with 250 miles of beach in the Dominican Republic. The second-largest nation in the Antilles (after Cuba), the Dominican offers a diversity of place that makes it unique, with coastlines along the Caribbean and Atlantic.