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Travel to Greece and enjoy its idyllic climate, archaeology treasures, dramatic vistas and hearty cuisine that embodies all things Greek.
Athens is the main travel hub. It’s easy to take a quick flight or ferry to some of the more popular islands—especially Santorini, Crete, or Mykonos.
Top Things to Do in Greece
Travel back in time at the Acropolis
Athens is the birthplace of democracy and Western civilization, and the Acropolis and Parthenon are its iconic reminders.
See a Santorini sunset
Grab a seat and witness a truly surreal sunset with stunning views from several cliff-side vantage points.
Make the most of Mykonos
Famous for its glamorous nightlife and gorgeous beaches, the island is bustling with activities all day and night.
Day trip to Delos According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago.
Discover Crete
Enjoy the local feel of a small village, drive along the breathtaking rugged south coast, or bask in luxurious spas.
The birthplace of Bob Marley, reggae, and jerk cuisine, Jamaica presents a magnificent palette of experiences, a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds that make this island the most precious jewel in the Caribbean. A land of unique culture, engaging activities, breathtaking landscapes, and warm, welcoming people.
The third-largest island in the Caribbean attracts millions of visitors every year, not least for its dazzling landscape of white sand beaches, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and glorious sunsets. But beyond its iconic beach life, mega-resorts, and gorgeous scenery, it’s Jamaica’s deeply-rooted African culture and friendly people that catch visitors by surprise. No place on earth provides the range of attractions and the cultural diversity that can be found there.
Six distinctive regions make it possible to experience every part of the vacation spectrum between Jamaica’s 146-mile-long borders. Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, Kingston, and the South Coast all offer a little something to make sure ”you come back, mon.”
So, visit Jamaica and kick up rumpus, which means to have a riotous good time. As the Jamaica Tourist Board says, “Once you go, you know.”
This walkable Mediterranean city offers loads of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts, shoppers, foodies, sightseeing and art aficionados.
Barcelona is one of the best places in Spain to eat, drink, and be merry. Beyond internationally renowned Spanish dishes such as paella and tortilla de patatas, you’ll find authentic Catalan cuisine. For serious foodies, there are close to 30 Michelin-starred restaurants in Barcelona. Bentley Travel Services suggest exploring the city on a food walking tour that includes a stop at La Boqueria, the oldest market in Europe, located just off the bustling tree-lined pedestrian street La Rambla .
The history and architect lover can walk through thousands of years of history as you explore Barcelona’s ancient Roman walls, its Gothic Quarter, and its modern Gaudì masterpieces, including the Sagrada Família.
For the beach lover head to the seaside neighborhood of La Barceloneta to surf and sunbathe on Sant Sebastià Beach.
Barcelona offers many opportunities for shoppers. You can find luxury shops located on Avinguda Diagonal, handmade shoes in the Gothic Quarter, La Rambla where you will find many shopping and people watching opportunities, and small shops for that special piece you won't find elsewhere can be found city-wide.
A wellspring of inspiration for artists, and a haven for history buffs, Paris is a fantasy destination for millions of travelers each year. Paris, the City of Light, offers opportunities to explore cathedrals and cafes, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame and the Champs-Elysees. Enjoy the pleasure of sipping a cafe au lait on the Boulevard Saint Germain or savoring a hearty cassoulet at an Ile St. Louis brasserie.
Paris is a walkable city and the perfect place to go exploring, get lost, eat until your belly hurts . Paris is, above all, a city for insatiable lovers of wine and food.
Paris is also a great base for day trips to the Champagne region, Versailles, London, and Brussels.
Bentley Travel Services favorite sightseeing suggestions include a Black Paris Tour, skip the line tour of the Louvre, attending a fashion show, a night at the Moulin Rouge, a cruise down the Seine, wine, and culinary tours and much more.
"A walk about Paris will provide ,lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life." – Thomas Jefferson
A multicultural melting pot, Cape Town is rich in cultural highlights. Start your sightseeing by taking a ferry to Robben Island and tour the facility with a former prison inmate to see where Nelson Mandela and other famous political exiles where jailed. Walk through the Bo Kaap neighborhood, filled with colorful row houses and steeped in the culture of the Cape Malay. Shop for souvenirs at the local markets and enjoy live performers at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront (watch video below). Take a day trip to the wine country. Visit the jackass penguins and the whales at Hermanus. You can even go on safari.
Cape Town is, without a doubt, the culinary capital of South Africa. With such a diverse mix of cultures colliding in this city, this is not the time to go on a diet. Try local delicacies along with South Africa’s best local wines, perhaps a rich pinot noir or fruity chenin blanc. Bentley Travel Services suggest you take home a bottle of Amarula, a sweet liquor made from the marula fruit, a must-try for first-time visitors in South Africa.
Costa Rica is a small Central American nation that shelters nearly six percent of the world's biodiversity. Expect to see gorgeous orchids, colorful birds and butterflies, howler monkeys, and maybe even the elusive margay, a spotted nocturnal cat that lives in the rain forest.
Costa Rica is an anomaly in Central America. Like its neighbors, the country traces its cultural heritage back to indigenous groups. Its modern history is quite distinct. Political choices to embrace democracy, abolish the national army, and protect rather than develop its natural assets have put the country in an economic and social position in which the quality of life here generally exceeds that of most Central American countries. Costa Rica has repeatedly been designated among the happiest countries in the world by international development researchers. Visitors come from around the world to discover the secret of pura vida, or pure life.
Not only is this country famed as a soft adventure hot spot, it's also highly regarded as a leader in sustainable ecotourism. Costa Rica reminds us that we can explore and enjoy nature responsibly.
Charleston, The Holy City, is hard to beat for history, and it is a rewarding network of cobbled streets and architecture with many stories to tell. The city’s African American heritage is particularly worth exploring. The International African American Museum stands on the disembarkation site for almost half of all enslaved Africans brought to the United States. The Museum tells the unvarnished stories of the African American experience across generations, the trauma and triumph that gave rise to a resilient people.
For a beach vacation, you have many choices. The Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island, near Mount Pleasant, are both relaxing and easy-going destinations with miles of beautiful beaches. South of Charleston is Folly Beach with an abundance of natural beauty, rare birds, and history. There is even an old lighthouse and one of the longest piers on the East Coast where you can fish, dance in the moonlight, or just go for a stroll.
Foodies, whether you’re ordering shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, oysters, okra, benne seed wafers or Frogmore stew, you won’t be disappointed with Charleston’s traditional Lowcountry cuisine.
Traditional Lowcountry cuisine draws from African, French, English, and European influences to create a one-of-a-kind comfort food that locals and tourists can’t stop craving.
When you dream of vacation do you imagine luxury resorts, opulent spas, fine dining, shopping, golfing, and outdoor activities? Scottsdale may be just the perfect place for your next vacay.
The Nature Lover can enjoy hiking, hot air ballooning, horseback riding, off-road tours, river rafting and more or take a day trip to Sedona and view some of the most stunning landscapes.
The Foodie will discover that Scottsdale is a food-lover’s paradise with more than 800 restaurants to choose from! Start in Old Town where you’ll find some of the most popular hot spots.
The Shopper will find many options in Historic Old Town and along Fifth Avenue that are perfect for finding uniquely Arizona gifts. Old Town also is home to Scottsdale Fashion Square, the Southwest’s largest shopping destination, offering more than 200 upscale retailers.
The Spa Lover can relax with more than 50+ luxury resorts and day spas. These blissful dens of Zen will soothe you from head to toe with treatments and wellness therapies inspired by Sonoran Desert Botanicals, ancient Native American healing techniques and curative traditions from around the world. It’s the perfect recipe for relaxation!
The Wine Connoisseur can experience The Old Town Scottsdale Wine Trail featuring tasting rooms from several of the state’s most acclaimed vineyards .
The Architecture Buff will love the one-hour Panorama Tour at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.
The Golfer will have a choice of more than 200 golf courses in the Scottsdale area, a portfolio of luxury resorts and year-round sunny skies.
Maybe it’s the rhythm of the mighty Mississippi River. Or the tangy blend of Southern hospitality and gritty determination. Or the very incredibly talented people who have called Memphis home—Elvis, B.B. King, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Justin Timberlake—whatever the reason, when it comes to music, there’s simply no place like Memphis.
Are you a BBQ lover? Eating in Memphis is an experience for the soul, not just the stomach. Memphis' specialty is barbecue with more than 100 barbecue restaurants.
History lovers should make their first stop at the National Civil Rights Museum. Located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on the balcony on April 4, 1968, this important museum is filled with Civil Rights history, and interactive media to cover five centuries, from slavery in America and the Civil War to the 20th-century Civil Rights movement and modern-day issues.
Beale Street is Tennessee’s most visited attraction, and one of America's most iconic streets. With music streaming from every open door, tributes to music legends along its cobblestone walkways and reminders of the city's rich heritage everywhere you look, it's no wonder that Beale Street attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year (find out more below).
A visit to the nation's capital is an opportunity to experience a plethora of activities including world-class events, an emerging culinary scene, free admission to the Smithsonian museums, quaint neighborhoods, famous monuments, government buildings, world champion sports teams and so much more.
D.C is a city of year-around festivals. Some signature yearly events include the Cherry Blossom Festival, Passport D.C. (Embassies open house), D.C. Jazz Festival, Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, and Capital Pride are just a few.
When people think of D.C., they do not necessarily think of it as culinary capital with a burgeoning food scene. From Michelin-starred restaurants to neighborhood food trucks and historic farmers markets, D.C. has something for every palate and budget. Bentley Travel Services offers culinary and heritage customized tours for Washington, D.C. Just let us know your interests.
D.C. is also a great base for day trips. Virginia's Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and Loudoun County Wineries are nearby. Explore Maryland's Baltimore Harbor, historic Annapolis, and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on the Eastern Shore.
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If you like rolling hills, horses, and bourbon then Lexington, Kentucky is your kind of town.
Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is home to more than 450 horse farms. Admission to the Kentucky Horse Park includes both the International Museum of the Horse and the American Saddle Horse Museum. Did you know 13 of the 15 jockeys in the inaugural Kentucky Derby in 1875 were African American? African Americans were the national sports superstars during the early development of the Thoroughbred racing and Saddlebred horse industries. There are memorials to Isaac Murphy, the first African American jockey to win three Kentucky Derbies. "The Buffalo Soldiers of the Western Frontier" is a permanent exhibit.
In Lexington every bar is a bourbon bar and 15 distilleries are located within 45 miles of downtown. By a Congressional act Bourbon is an indigenous product of the United States, meaning that no other country can make a product and call it Bourbon and 95% of the world's Bourbon is produced in Kentucky. So, let the spirits move down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you will enjoy exploring the land where the bluegrass meets the Appalachian Mountains. Kayaking, zip lining, rock climbing, secluded hikes, and beautiful waterfalls are waiting for you to discover.
San Francisco’s 10 distinctive neighborhoods, renowned food scene and world-class museums give it an enduring appeal with travelers of all ages. The city on the bay is full of iconic attractions, like the scenic waterfront district, Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz, the former maximum-security prison. Visit Ghirardelli Square for mouth-watering chocolates. Shop, dine, and catch a show in Union Square neighborhood. Explore Chinatown or cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, a quaint community of artists. Get lost in the bohemian Mission District or The Castro, one of the first openly-gay neighborhoods in the U.S. Visit the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley or venture north of the city to see the redwoods at Muir Woods, or embrace your inner flower child in Haight-Ashbury, the city remains as diverse with something for everyone to enjoy.
As the birthplace of the Impossible Burger, the home of sourdough perfection and the first city to embrace the farm-to-table philosophy on a large scale, San Francisco has lots of experiences for the true foodie. With 55 Michelin-starred restaurants there are many options for the gourmand.
Heritage lovers can visit the Museum of the African Diaspora
where art and stories of African-descendant cultures worldwide are found. Another option is the Contemporary Jewish Museum where great exhibitions that explore contemporary views on Jewish culture, history, and art can be found.
Cultural Exploration
One of the best things about traveling is learning about other cultures and lifestyles.
Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, named for a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent. This pyramid-shaped structure stands close to 100 feet high.
Also known as Temple of the Bearded Man. It has flagstones decorated with trees that have their roots in the earth, with plant branches that climb spiraling on its trunks. Butterflies and birds flutter around the trees, while others stand on the branches. Above these trees, Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan appears as man-bird-serpent with his face emerging from the jaws of a serpent with a forked tongue and feathered body.
The serpent was a very important social and religious symbol, revered by the Maya. Maya mythology describes serpents as being the vehicles by which celestial bodies, such as the sun and stars, cross the heavens. The shedding of their skin made them a symbol of rebirth and renewal.
The Ball Court symbolized the underworld in the Maya cosmovision and appears in the Maya creation myth as depicted in The Popol Vuh (Book of Council). The Grand Ball Court of Chichén had multiple purposes and was an important site of sociopolitical power.
The Mayan civilization – especially at Chichen Itza – practiced human sacrifice as a gift of blood to the deities. There are several carvings depicting this religious practice. There are several carvings depicting this religious practice. For example, a long frieze at the Great Ballcourt depicts beheading and disembowelment presumably of athletics. According to legend, the captain of the winning team was often killed as a reward, resulting in his immediate ascension into heaven. High ranking political and war prisoners were also murdered by various means. The most gruesome evidence is the Wall of Skulls. El Tzompantli was the platform where impaled heads were horizontally displayed.
Photo credits: Bentley Travel Services -Greece, Cape Town, Washington, DC., Lexington, KY, and Chichen Itza Clients:-Paris. All others are stock photos.