Smarter, cheaper, happier travel
This week on 'Try This,' host Cristina Quinn sits down with Washington Post travel reporter Natalie Compton, who shares her best tips for navigating it all without losing your patience (or your luggage).
Natalie breaks down exactly when and how to book flights for the best deals and why compression bags and eye masks might be your secret weapons.
Plus, smart advice about visas, passport renewals, travel safety and how to get through customs quickly — no Global Entry required.
Whether you're planning an international getaway or a local beach vacation, this episode will help you travel better, spend smarter and stay cool (literally and figuratively) this summer.
Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Looking for ways to beat the heat in Hattiesburg? Here are our top picks
There's no need to mention the summer heat in Hattiesburg. It's all around us. That said, how do you stay cool when it's so hot outside? If you're looking for ideas, we found a few things you might like to try to beat the summer heat. Load up the sunscreen and plenty of water and head out to one of these cool places. Some facilities are open through Labor Day weekend, while others are open year-round. It's best to check availability before you go. Slide into this water park Serengeti Springs Water Park, which is in its second season, is located in the heart of Hattiesburg next to the zoo. The park has several slides, to provide a variety of experiences, an area for younger children, a lazy river for those who want to coast along and a swim-up bar for adults. Admission is $35 per person Friday-Sunday or $25 per person Monday-Thursday. A $2 discount per ticket is given for tickets purchased online. The water park is located at 1700 Hardy St. For more information, visit Make a splash Looking for a quick and easy way for the kids to cool down? Splash pads might be the answer. Hattiesburg's Palmers Crossing neighborhood has a splash pad open daily at 335 Dewitt Sullivan Park on Old Airport Road. Admission is free. The Hattiesburg Zoo offers a splash pad for guests with cabanas for rent along the exterior so parents can watch their children play and stay out of the sun. The splash pad is free with admission to the zoo at 107 South 17th Ave. Paul B. Johnson State Park has one of the area's first splash pads, designed to enhance the recreational experience. The park is located at 319 Geiger Lake Road, just south of Hattiesburg. Admission to the park is $2 per person for those 6 and older, free for children 5 and younger. Admission to the splash pad is $8 for those 16 and older or $6 for youth up to 15 years old. For more information, visit Petal has a splash pad at Friendly Park/Robert E. Russell Sports Complex. It is a fairly new addition to the city's facilities, opening in spring 2024. Admission is free. The park is located at 605 Hillcrest Loop. For more information, visit Have a swimming good time The city's public swimming pools are winding down for the season, but the Family Y facilities in Hattiesburg and Petal have pools that are open year-round. Use of the pools is free to members. Guest passes are available for nonmembers for $15 for visitors 13 and older and $5 for those 12 and younger. The Hattiesburg location is at 3719 Veterans Memorial Drive. In Petal, the Family Y is at 547 Hillcrest Loop. For more information, visit Canoes, kayaks and tubes, oh my Getting outdoors may seem a little crazy in the summertime, but Mother Nature provides her own remedies to beat the heat. South Mississippi's rivers and creeks are surrounded by trees, making it easier to spend a day paddling or floating downstream. Bonus: Some rental sites also offer camping and RV parking for vacations or a weekend getaway. Hattiesburg is home to Twin Forks, where the Leaf and Bouie rivers cross paths, making it a prime spot for an outdoor adventure. Pine Belt Blueways offers kayaking tours along both rivers, with several packages to choose from. For more information or to book a trip, visit Not far from Hattiesburg is Okatoma Outdoor Outpost, 550 Walter Lott Road in Seminary, where guests can rent canoes or kayaks and paddle down Okatoma Creek. For more information, visit Black Creek Canoe Rentals, 20 Old Highway 49 in Brooklyn, offers canoe and kayak adventures from Brooklyn to several locations along Black Creek, depending on experience and how far you want to go. For more information, visit Sweetwater Canoe and Tubing, 118 Dillons Bridge Road in Tylertown, will let you float or paddle down the Bogue Chitto River however you choose, whether it is kayaking, canoeing or tubing. For more information, visit Not the outdoors type? Hattiesburg has plenty of things to do indoors, where you can have fun and stay cool in air-conditioned rooms. Bowling at Hub Lanes, 7022 U.S. 49, is a popular indoor sport, with 20 lanes to accommodate groups and individuals. The facility also has video games and pool tables along with a snack bar. For more information, visit Most people who grew up in Hattiesburg have been to Laser Mania at one time or another. The family-run laser tag facility at 905 Hardy St. has been in operation for more than 25 years. Laser Mania offers party and group packages as well as individual admission. For more information, visit UpDown Trampoline Park, 101 South 41st Ave., is a great way for kids to burn some energy while avoiding exposure to the sun. The venue has 12,000 square feet of jumping space. Other activities include jousting, dodgeball, basketball and more. For more information, visit Alley Cats Axe Throwing, 220 West Pine St., offers a way to test your throwing and accuracy skills while having fun with friends. Adults and youth 10 and older are welcome. For more information, visit Category 5 Smash Room, 214 West Pine St., is a crazy as its name. Category 5 refers to the maximum strength of a hurricane, which is welcome in this stress-relieving venue. You can bring your own items to smash or buy a bucket, then head to a saferoom to begin smashing away. For more information, visit Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Hattiesburg, MS top five places to beat summer heat Solve the daily Crossword
Skift
6 minutes ago
- Skift
Sri Lanka Bets on Visa Fee Waiver for 40 Nations to Hit 3 Million Tourists
First things first: Sri Lanka isn't going visa‑free, it's just scrapping the fee. Free visas could help close the gap for Sri Lanka, but the country needs a consistent campaign and a story that goes beyond price. Sri Lanka is finally moving closer to extend free visas for visitors from 40 countries, including the seven that already enjoy visa fee waiver and 33 newly-added markets. Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said Friday that tourists from countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia will soon be able to enter the island without paying visa fees. The move, he said, aims to attract more tourists, cut red tape, and send a message that Sri Lanka is open for business. Herath acknowledged the waiver could cost the government about $66 million in visa fees but said the broader economic gains from higher tourist arrivals would more than make up for it. But before the plan can go live, it needs clearance from the Attorney General's office. Industry stakeholders told Skift they expect that approval to be quick and straightforward. Skift has also reached out to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for comment. The Visa Fee Waiver The visa fee waiver expands on a smaller program rolled out in March 2023 that offered free 30-day visas on arrival for seven countries, including India, China, and Russia, provided travelers applied for electronic travel authorization in advance. Until now, most tourists outside South Asia have paid $50-$60 for a short stay visa. It's not yet clear whether travelers from the 33 newly-included countries will need an electronic travel authorization. Sri Lanka ha set an ambitious goal of attracting 3 million visitors and earning $5 billion in tourism revenue in 2025. That's a sharp rise from 2.05 million tourists and roughly $3 billion in 2024. 'The initiative is a strong step forward in making Sri Lanka more accessible and competitive as a destination,' said Amrit Rajarathnam, Managing Director of hospitality company Island Life, Sri Lanka. 'While it may not fully close the gap to the 3 million visitor target for 2025, it's expected to generate a meaningful boost in arrivals. Globally, the current trend in tourism-driven countries is to adapt the visa-free format.' What More Is Needed to Boost Arrivals? While industry leaders support the visa fee waiver, they warn it cannot stand alone. 'For most visitors, what truly matters is an efficient online visa process, which Sri Lanka already offers,' said Malik J. Fernando, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance. 'The visa initiative should not serve as a smokescreen for the ongoing absence of a coherent international marketing campaign. Despite repeated proclamations, no meaningful effort has materialized, even though funds have long been available.' Fernando said cutting visa costs is not enough to solve deeper problems in the sector. The failure to properly position Sri Lanka is doing 'real harm' he said. 'It contributes to depressed room rates across all categories of accommodation and deters foreign direct investment, which remains significantly below that of regional competitors due to weak margins. Ask any hotelier.' He also dismissed comparisons to high-volume tourist destinations. 'If a traveler chooses Sri Lanka primarily because of a waived visa fee, that reflects a deeper failure: we haven't communicated why the destination is truly special. The decision to visit should be inspired by the country's extraordinary offerings, not driven by a minor cost saving.' A Full Visitor Experience In March, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) launched a new promotional campaign: Sri Lanka, A Story for Every Season. The campaign aimed to address seasonality and position the country as a year-round destination. The government hosted 12 travel influencers from India, the U.K., Hong Kong, Australia, and Portugal in Colombo. SLTPB Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam acknowledged the uphill task ahead, emphasizing the need for international collaboration and long-term strategy. He also pointed to the potential of digital influencers to shape global perception of Sri Lanka. The campaign aims to generate $110,000 worth of media exposure and engage a wide variety of travel segments. But for industry insiders, that's not enough. While the visa fee waiver removes an important barrier, lasting growth will depend on how well Sri Lanka invests in the full visitor experience, Island Life's Rajarathnam said. 'We need to improve both how we promote Sri Lanka and how travellers experience it. That means focused marketing in key markets, better transport between regions, consistent, high-quality service across the country and support for experience-driven hospitality. It's about making sure people don't just visit – but want to come back.' Tourism Numbers So Far… So far, the tourism arrival in the country has been uneven. As of July 23, Sri Lanka recorded 1.3 million tourist arrivals for the year, a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. But July's numbers, which were expected to be strong due to the Kandy Esala Perahera festival, fell short as only 145,188 arrivals were logged in the first 23 days of the month. This was far below the expected 277,195. 'The decline in arrivals during June and July is unsurprising,' said Fernando. 'These months have traditionally been seen as off-season. Without a consistent marketing campaign that establishes Sri Lanka as a year-round destination, such dips in visitation are inevitable.' To reach the annual target, Sri Lanka now needs to attract nearly 1.7 million additional tourists before the end of the year. That would require more than 281,000 monthly arrivals—well above the current average. Since January's peak of 252,761 visitors, monthly arrivals have steadily declined, with June posting just 138,241. India continues to lead as the top source market with 269,780 visitors so far this year, followed by U.K. and Russia. As Fernando put it, 'Sri Lanka remains an extraordinary destination… but it continues to undersell itself due to weak, fragmented communication. This must change if we are to realise the country's full potential.'
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Travel + Leisure
6 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Tiny Town in Jackson Hole Is One of the Most Underrated Spots in the Valley—Here's How to Visit
For those travelers unfamiliar with Jackson Hole, Wyoming, there are two common misconceptions that persist. The first is calling the dramatic mountain range towering over the landscape the 'Grand Tetons,' when, in fact, these craggy peaks are simply the Tetons; Grand Teton is just the name of the highest peak. Second, there's the belief that Jackson Hole is a town—it's actually a valley comprising several small towns and communities, including Jackson, Teton Village (where you'll find Jackson Hole Mountain Resort), Moose, Moran, and Wilson. While those visiting Jackson Hole regularly spend time in Jackson, the location of the iconic antler arches, and Teton Village—and likely pass through Moose and Moran during an excursion to nearby Grand Teton National Park—it's all too easy to completely miss Wilson, population 1,255. A mother moose and her calf in Wilson. 'Wilson is about 15 to 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the town of Jackson,' Lela Rose, the founder of her eponymous clothing brand, tells Travel + Leisure . Rose, who has a home in Jackson Hole, opened the Lela Rose Ranch flagship store in Wilson in Dec. 2022. 'It's where you see old Jackson mingle with new, all while keeping its quiet charm. It isn't unusual to see moose come up on our porch at the store or roam the parking lot—that's how quaint and quiet it is,' she says. Though tiny, Wilson is filled with small businesses, must-try restaurants, and several haunts frequented by true Jackson Hole locals. 'In Wilson proper, you can't miss breakfast at Nora's. It's an American classic for a good reason,' says Megan Gallagher, the director and founder of Jackson Hole Food & Wine, an annual food festival. Be sure to arrive hungry; you'll want to have plenty of room for the hearty breakfast burrito or the famous banana bread French toast. Persephone Westbank, located north of Wilson's 'downtown' area, is another of Gallagher's go-tos for coffee and pastries. 'The kouign amann is a personal favorite, and the chocolate chip cookies are great souvenirs and takeaway gifts,' she says, adding that the granola is 'not to be missed.' When asked how they'd spend their ideal day in Wilson, both Gallagher and Rose mention starting the morning with bagels from Pearl Street Bagels. Gallagher also suggests popping into Aspens Market for gourmet groceries or cooking gear and Westside Wine and Spirits for its 'excellent selection' of beverages. If you'd rather grab a drink out than open a bottle of wine in your hotel room or rental, there's exactly one place you need to go. 'Stagecoach is a local watering hole where you'll see true cowboys mixing with mountain bikers,' says Rose, who recommends getting the establishment's tacos for dinner and staying for late-night pool or dancing. A woman wearing a Lela Rose outfit at a ranch in Wilson. There's more to Wilson than just great food and an authentic bar scene, though. According to Rose, visitors should make a point to check out Wilson Back Country Sports for bike or ski rentals, shop 'merch from the OG ski legends in Jackson Hole' at Teton Gravity Research, and experience the Teton Raptor Center 'to learn all about raptors in the area and support their conservation efforts.' As far as overnight accommodations in Wilson, Airbnbs or other home rentals will be your best bet. Otherwise, there are a handful of T+L-approved hotels in nearby Jackson. Hotel Yellowstone is a serene, adults-only property that just opened last year, and The Virginian Lodge is a family-friendly option with an outdoor pool, fire pits, and a fast-casual burger joint.
