Here you’ll find the beautiful crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay ringed by the famously rugged cliffs of the Napali coast, plus an unspoiled, beach-lined coastline that bursts with wild Pacific beauty. Sun, rainclouds, wind and ocean waves caress the bay and vibrant sunrises and sunsets paint an atmospheric canvas of pure tropical beauty — often one of the prettiest sights in the Hawaiian Islands.

A drive to Kauai’s North Shore is half the fun: Starting from Lihue’s low-key, small scale airport, you quickly exit town and head north through several colorful coastal towns of Kapa’a, Wailua, Kilauea, and the funky, Old Hawaii surf town of Hanalei. For beach and hiking provisions, be sure to stop at the Princeville Center, where a Foodland market carries everything you need for day trips (check out the fresh ahi poke bowls, banana and mango macadamia nut bread, guava juice sodas, and purple bread rolls made from taro root) and don’t miss Lappert’s Hawaiian ice cream shop and its enticing tropical flavored treats (love the Lava Tube sundae.)

Just north of the upscale Princeville resort community, the landscape becomes extraordinarily lush, with graceful waterfalls cascading down steep green mountains, and small rivers and streams flowing steadily to the sea though steep narrow ravines creasing the slopes of Mount Waialeale, one of the rainiest spots on Earth. At the Hanalei Valley Lookout, the gateway to the far north shore, you enjoy a panorama of the Hanalei River Valley and Kauai’s famed taro fields, laid out in a dreamlike patchwork quilt of green.

After crossing the historic Hanalei Bridge — the first of seven, one-lane bridges on the journey to the far North Shore — a two-lane highway meanders for the next several miles to the quaint town of Hanalei, where you explore this old-school Hawaiian village and take in its hip surf vibe and eclectic mix of structures like the Old Hanalei Schoolhouse and Ching Young Village — a set of historic buildings now home to shops and restaurants.

The town’s picturesque Wai’oli Hui’ia church is set beneath a backdrop of soaring, waterfall-laced mountains. Enjoy lunch at eateries such as local favorite Tropical Taco, or the Hanalei Poke food truck. Other excellent eating options in town include AMA ramen restaurant (great mountain views from the restaurant patio), the riverside Hanalei Dolphin and colorful Tahiti Nui, which was featured in a scene from the 2011 film “The Descendants” in which George Clooney’s character meets with his cousin, played by Beau Bridges. (This family-run restaurant also has a very fun, small-scale luau on Wednesday evenings.)

Cool off with a mango-passion fruit shave ice at JoJo’s before heading a few blocks to Pine Trees beach and Black Pot beach near the iconic Hanalei pier to sunbathe, beachcomb, or body board and surf in the gentle bay waves. Other must-see shops in Hanalei include Havaiki Oceanic and Tribal Art, Yellowfish Trading Company for new and vintage Hawaiiana and Hanalei Strings music shop for handcrafted ukuleles.

Continuing north, the coastal road narrows even more and a series of one-lane bridges force you to slow down and absorb the stunning scenery of this wave-swept shore. The views are magical: rugged emerald mountains adorned with waterfalls, and aquamarine seas framed by white sand beaches. Just a few miles before the end of the road and the start of the famously scenic and almost inaccessible Napali coast, you reach the tranquil community of Ha’ena and , where you can take a shuttle (reservations required) to visit Haena State Park’s wet and dry caves; Tunnels and Ke’e beaches for great snorkeling; and the Lumahuli Garden & Preserve, which teems with native species in an otherworldly landscape.

Where to stay

Hanalei’s Bay most luxurious lodging option is 1 Hanalei Bay, the posh new eco-friendly wellness resort in the resort community of Princeville. Draped on the cliffs overlooking serene Hanalei Bay, the resort reopened on February 2023 after a $300 million dollar re-imagination and features 252 nature-inspired rooms, including 51 suites, seven food and beverage venues, 18,000 square foot wellness center, 7,900 square foot fitness facility, three pools, an artist studio, children’s activity center, rooftop organic garden with native canoe crops and dedicated apiaries.

Guests have on-site access to services such as IV therapies, medical aesthetics, body analysis, metabolic testing and VO2 testing and analysis  with tailored treatments aimed to stimulate cellular health, regeneration, and a transformative health reset. The resort also offers custom itineraries designed around wellness goals incorporating sustainable nutrition, fitness training, Kauai plant-based and touchless technology therapies, and functional medicine. Details: www.1hotels.com/hanalei-bay

For a smaller scale, “unplugged” hideaway escape on Kauai’s North Shore, check out the secluded Hanalei Colony Resort, set on a quiet, sandy shoreline a few miles north of Hanalei town. In addition to kitchen-equipped suites, a spa and a pool, the resort offers guests complimentary shuttles to the pristine and scenic Tunnels beach (great for snorkeling) and adjoining Haena State Park, as well as Hanalei and Princeville. Details: www.hcr.com

Adventures on Kauai’s North Shore

Kauai is a nirvana for adventure and active travelers. From hiking the lush, jungly Napali coast, kayaking the Wailua River on the east shore’s “Coconut Coast,” to beach and canyon hikes on the south and west shores, there’s an abundance of adventures to seek out.

Hiking

The North Shore is no exception and features the world-famous Kalalau Trail leading to Hanakapiai beach and waterfall (4 miles and 8 miles roundtrip, respectively), and eventually to the remote Kalalau Valley, a 22-mile roundtrip overnight backpacking experience (State park permits are required for backpackers.)

With awe-inspiring views of towering cliffs, lush valleys, waterfalls, and sea caves, the Kalalau Trail is considered one of the most scenic, if challenging, hikes in all the islands (advance hiking reservations required up to 30 days in advance for non-Hawaii residents.) Whether hikers do the full hike or just a portion, the trail is a highlight of any visit to Kauai.

The short first leg of the route is a somewhat rigorous but unforgettable hiking adventure that captures the essence of the North Shore. You start near Ke’e beach and ascend a the rocky and somewhat steep cliffside trail across lava rocks and across streams to Hanakapiai Beach, where you can picnic under shady pandanus trees or on the small, rocky strand. Don’t attempt to swim here as the ocean currents are extremely dangerous and there have been many drownings. General info: www.kalalautrail.com. Shuttle info: www.gohaena.com.

Kayaking

Take a relaxing kayak tour of the Hanalei river and bay to scenic Hideaways Beach with Kayak Kauai. Details: www.kayakkauai.com

Surfing

Learn to surf with the experts at Hanalei-based Hawaiian Surfing Adventures. Details: www.hawaiiansurfingadventures.com

Nature walk

Explore the hillside trails of the Limahuli Garden & Preserve, one of three National Tropical Botanical Gardens on Kauai and a preserve for many native plant species, some only found on Kauai’s North Shore. Details: www.ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli

A boy’s injury at a popular scenic overlook is the latest incident leading to a closure of an Oahu tourist site.

The Koko Crater trail (blue No. 1 on the map) was closed after an 8-year-old fell 20 feet down a shaft on July 5. It reopened five days later with some areas of the summit off limits.

Other Oahu trails, however, have been permanently closed or switched to permit-only status because of hazards or overuse.

The map above shows these sites:

Closed (red)

1. Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven). This route has been officially closed since 1987, but it continued to draw crowds — especially after it began getting attention on social media. Neighbors complained of trespassing, noise and littering, and in April 2024 the demolition of the stairs began.

2. Sacred Falls. It has been closed to the public since 1999, when a rockslide killed eight people. In February of this year, a California couple in their 60s had to be airlifted out after falling from the trail. They had been hiking for about 15 minutes, they told the rescuers.  Several days later, while her husband was still in the hospital, the woman was fined $1,000 for violating the restriction, the state’s parks agency said.

Permit or reservation required (orange)

1. Diamond Head. Since 2022, non-residents have been required to make a reservation ($5 per person) and pay for parking ($10 per car) to hike to the summit that looms over Honolulu.

2. Lulumahu Falls. A day-use permit is required to hike this short out-and-back trail off the Pali Highway.

3. Poamoho Trail. Hikers need a permit (and a high-clearance 4-wheel-drive vehicle) to get to the trailhead for the spectacular and challenging ridge hike.

4. Kuaokala Trail. A day-use permit is required for hiking, biking or four-wheeling in the area accessed through the Ka’ena Point Air Force property.

In addition to the Oahu trails, reservations are required for the Kalalau Trail on Kauai’s famed Na Pali Coast. The out-and-back covers 22 rugged miles, so most people doing the full trip will be spending a night at one of the two camping areas, but day hikers also need a permit.

I’ve become more forgetful over the years. When I got to Fountaingrove Lake at Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa, California, a couple weekends ago, I unloaded my small, baby blue kayak and set it on the mud bank next to the boat ramp, got out my fly-fishing gear and quickly realized I’d left my fly rod in my garage.

So I left my kayak unattended for about half an hour while I drove home and retrieved the rod. It wasn’t the first time I’d done that, and I wasn’t too bothered. I knew that soon I’d be out on the water in my zen space, hucking foam grasshopper flies for largemouth bass; flicking small Parachute Adams flies for bluegill; and dragging tiny nymph flies below the surface for both. It’s summer, the sun is finally hot and the lake is teeming with bass and bluegill.

I got back to my kayak, strung my rod, tied on a grasshopper fly and settled into my kayak — the “sit-in” type — and set out on the water. I’ve done this scores of times since buying my little one-person boat a few years ago, a post-pandemic act my partner calls my best-ever impulse buy. I fished for nearly four hours, not catching much. It was one of those days, of tangled lines and flies caught in reeds and algae.

It was nearing 8 p.m. when I noticed I’d been out on the water for about four hours. I’d just decided to head back to shore when I noticed something brush up against my ankle. If someone asked what it feels like to have a snake slither, even briefly, across your skin, we’d all have some idea, possibly an instinctive memory tied back to our collective, primal past. That’s right, you know exactly what I mean. That’s what it felt like.

I moved the black tackle bag and saw my companion, since confirmed to be a young northern Pacific rattlesnake, coiled near my feet. I simultaneously brought my feet closer to me and gently pushed the tackle bag forward to get a couple more inches between me and the snake. It wasn’t “Snakes on a Plane” level panic but the 8-year-old kid inside me let out one continuous silent scream as I paddled back to shore.

Jumping out of the kayak was not an option. Doing so would have caused me to flip my boat, and I would’ve lost all my fly-fishing gear. Plus, I’d capsized on the same lake before, losing my glasses and taking an hour to swim back to shore with my partially water-filled kayak in tow. More importantly, who knows how my slithering companion would have reacted to such a commotion? So I paddled as quickly and calmly as I could, the whole time thinking “there’s a snake in my kayak, and it’s been there for hours.”

This trip back to shore on June 28 felt like the longest 15 minutes of my life. When I got to the boat ramp I got out of and away from the kayak. The snake was just sitting there, chilling at the bottom. It wasn’t even that bothered when I scooped it into my fishing net with my paddle and walked it over to the brush and reeds. The last thing I saw was its tiny rattle before it vanished in the tall grass.

Was it really a rattlesnake? I sent a photo and video of the snake to John Roney, park manager at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, and the folks over at Sonoma County Regional Parks. I even posted an “observation” on iNaturalist.org. Several people identified it as a northern Pacific rattlesnake, also known as Pacific diamondback rattlesnake. One iNaturalist.org user commented, “rattlesnakes aren’t looking for trouble. They’ll leave us alone if we likewise leave them alone. But if you accidentally step on one, causing it pain, the snake’s automatic response is of course to immediately bite in self-defense. When in buzztail country, always be alert via scanning the immediate surroundings.”

Roney, in an email, said he “sent it to a couple experts to be sure, but it’s a Pacific diamondback rattlesnake. You got lucky! But the Pacific diamondbacks are generally not very aggressive rattlesnakes and will mostly bite if you step on them or pick them up. I guess you’re lucky you didn’t put your foot on it.”

Meda Freeman, a spokesperson for Sonoma County Regional Parks, said she shared my photo with a couple of the agency’s wildlife experts who agreed it was a rattlesnake. “One of them said this just proves that snakes aren’t out to get us,” Freeman said in an email. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

In California’s Sonoma County, the northern Pacific rattlesnake is most active from April to October, according to Sonoma County Regional Parks. Though rattlesnake bites are rare, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for them while you’re out on the trail or getting into a kayak. That’s a lesson I’ll remember, even if I forget my fly rod again.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.

© 2025 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.). Visit www.pressdemocrat.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss village has cashed in on a pay-for-entry turnstile used by avid tourists who flock each day to a lakeside dock featured in the hit South Korean Netflix series “Crash Landing On You,” often to snap souvenir photos.

Local leaders in Iseltwald and tourism officials insist the village’s 406 inhabitants aren’t getting rich off the influx of visitors, who pay 5 Swiss francs ($6.30) to access the dock. In 2024, entries brought in nearly 245,000 francs ($307,000), while a one-franc public pay toilet collected about 58,000 francs more, said village clerk Gabriela Blatter.

Proceeds have gone mostly to garbage disposal, restroom cleaning, additional work hours and custodial staff hires, she said.

Titia Weiland, manager of the Bönigen-Iseltwald Tourism agency, said the funds go right back to village upkeep: “It’s not correct to read it as ‘the community gets rich’,” alluding to some comments along those lines in the media and online.

The village, situated along a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Brienz, features majestic views of Alpine peaks over the water.

An episode in early 2020 of the cross-border Korean love story spotlighted the dock as a romantic getaway. That sparked online hype among fans of the series across Asia and beyond, which hasn’t let up, fueling the rush of tourism to Iseltwald.

The continued influx has exposed growing pains for the Swiss village, like those faced by other tourist hotspots that get too much of a good thing.

Part of the problem is infrastructure: Iseltwald has three hotels and four restaurants, not enough for about 1,000 visitors who arrive by tour bus, public bus and car each day on average, according to Blatter. The village is revamping a parking lot to help cope with the strain, and the only village store now operates 7 days a week. Previously, it was open Monday to Friday.

“There were always tourists in Iseltwald. We are happy with them. The problem is that the tourists don’t understand what’s private and what’s public,” Blatter said, adding that some traipse through private yards and gardens. “They go everywhere.”

For months, fans of the series could visit the dock for free until the turnstile was put up in 2023 to help offset costs incurred by the local government.

Not long ago, Weiland said, “we were wishing for more tourists in Iseltwald: In some ways, we are thankful … but it can be extreme.” Villagers who hosted the crews for on-site filming at the dock had no idea the series would become such a runaway success, she said.

The village has a website devoted to the “filming location” of the series that lists transportation options and entreats visitors to respect the dock, refrain from littering, and consider the “quiet atmosphere of this authentic Swiss village” by keeping noise down and avoiding private property.

“Enjoy your stay in beautiful Iseltwald and take with you memories to your home country!” the site says.

Along pale pink sands, on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, we were staying in the Potlatch Club cottage where music icon Paul McCartney and wife Linda honeymooned in March 1969. While here, the Beatles heartthrob jotted down lyrics to “Oh! Darling,” and “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” on Potlatch-logo stationary; both songs appeared on the Fab Four’s final album, “Abbey Road,” later that year.

Believe me darlin’: This chic, renovated one-bedroom had been abandoned and buried by the smothering jungle for nearly 40 years. In fact, the entire original Potlatch Club, once a 1960s and ‘70s hideaway for elites and celebrities  — including Greta Garbo, Cliff Robertson and Richard Widmark — had been swallowed up by nature, looted, lashed by hurricane winds and long forgotten.

That is, until Caribbean-born entrepreneurs Hans Febles and Bruce Loshusan spent almost eight years meticulously raising the decrepit Potlatch from the dead; 11 accommodations in whitewashed cottages debuted last summer on 12 gorgeously landscaped acres that feel like your own private oceanfront estate.

“We bought the property not knowing its history,” Febles said. And that’s a crazy story in itself.

Eleuthera is a rugged, low-key, 110-mile-long, twig-thin island with crystalline aqua seas, no traffic lights, a strip dubbed “the narrowest place on Earth,” one two-lane potholed main road, and wondrous skylit caves shielding bats and spirits of shipwrecked Puritans. A major happening is Eleuthera’s annual pineapple festival, when contestants draped in 30-gallon trash bags frantically try to devour a strung pineapple as fast as they can. The island’s 100 or so largely empty, pristine beaches are gaspingly beautiful (and just a 40-minute flight from Miami). Tourists can snorkel and book fishing trips, however because it’s so relaxed, the island’s candid slogan is: “Eleuthera, it’s not for everyone.”

In 1967, a trio of moneyed New York socialites opened the Potlatch Club after building homes and cottages on what had been a 1923 pineapple plantation. They did so at the urging of a friend, Elizabeth Taylor (not the actress) who went to golf in Eleuthera and decided a plethora of posh pals needed a discreet tropical resort. The three Potlatch owners included two former debutantes and Junior Leaguers — Diana Adams, then married to a top-drawer tax attorney, and divorcee Marie Driggs, whose son, Tony, became Potlatch’s tennis pro on the cork-turf court. Joining them was Driggs’ partner, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, an outstanding pianist who studied the ivories in Paris.

The Potlatch was an invitation-only retreat with thatched tiki umbrellas poolside and rooms filled with classy European antiques such as an oak wainscot chair dated 1657. Since guests were “invited” many didn’t feel the need to pay anything.

Soon after Febles and Loshusan broke ground in 2016,  Driggs’ late son Tony shared the piecemeal heyday history and some visitor names with the new owners who had no clue. Among the VIPs: Prince Charles, Lord Mountbatten, Broadway legend Mary Martin, actor Raymond Burr, actress and Post Cereals heiress Dina Merrill. Even, he said, Ringo.

“There’s not a lot of photographs or paperwork on who stayed because they wanted privacy,” said Febles, who lives on-site. “I did find a bill for Walter Cronkite and Merv Griffin.”

With draining funds, the socialites sold the furnished Potlatch Club in 1978 to a Canadian investor who never opened it as a hotel. Sometime in the ‘80s, the Potlatch plummeted into foreclosure and decades of ruin.

Then one day, Febles and Loshusan were driving with a real estate agent after viewing another possible hotel venue, when they glimpsed the barely visible clubhouse constructed in 1923 and part of the bygone Potlatch. The area was so overgrown, they had no idea the vast lot stretched to the beach. “There were trees coming up from what had been the pool,” Febles recalled. But in his mind, he foresaw his hotel goal: “Timeless elegance.”

“When it went bankrupt and was in probate for a couple years, locals used to go there and take whatever they wanted,” Febles said. Surprisingly, once the duo purchased the land, excited neighbors stopped by to give them Potlatch cups, napkins, brochures, and other items. “They felt like, finally, someone’s doing something here.”

One man offered to return the heavy piano he somehow moved from the shuttered Potlatch. The damaged piano had long been neglected in his garage and although unusable, the baby grand mahogany Bosendorfer graces the new Potlatch’s library. Prior co-owner Elizabeth Fitzgerald had often played it for guests.

A dilapidated wood cabinet, rained on for decades, was discovered in the ramshackle premises. Now restored, it holds the original tasseled Potlatch room key chains, which Febles located in a stashed box with keys that had “Potlatch” misspelled. “I couldn’t try a key to see if it worked. There were no doors anywhere, everyone had taken them.”

The clubhouse still features its 1923 black-and-white checkered floor set in sand; a section had cratered into the ground but was repaired for Potlatch 2.0.

Eleuthera, with the rest of the Bahamas, remained a British colony until gaining independence in 1973. Which explains why the first Potlatch’s general manager wore dressy Scottish kilts (supposedly he was hired because of his finesse for playing backgammon and bridge). The current GM, Bhutan-born Kezang Dorji, is a gem who worked as a high-end butler for Keith Richards, Christie Brinkley, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and exudes his homeland’s Gross National Happiness attitude. (Both Dorji and laid-back Febles are hands-on, even toting guests’ luggage to their quarters. In the mornings, you might spot shorts-clad Febles picking stray blades from the perfectly manicured green lawns. He’s often joined by two statuesque wild herons.)

Of the Bahamas’ 700 islands, Eleuthera ranked as the “pineapple capital” in the mid-19th century, shipping tons of the tangy fruit to the United States and England. After exports bottomed out, so did pineapple cultivation — there’s only about 15 farmers now. At Eleuthera’s recent 36th annual Pineapple Festival, fans of the prickly crop munched pineapple tarts, perused pineapple-themed paintings, and danced to boisterous bands in a park.

“This is where it all began, this is the place internationally where people bought pineapples from,” enthused Bekera Taylor, who owns a one-acre farm. Inside a festival booth, she sold Eleuthera’s special Sugarloaf variety (“they’re sugary sweet and shaped like a loaf of bread”), next to homemade pineapple ketchup, pineapple barbecue sauce, pineapple pepper jelly, and pineapple chips. She’s hoping to launch a pineapple winery.

Thanks to a stormy shipwreck, Eleuthera is also “the birthplace of the Bahamas.” In 1648, a group of English Puritans set sail from Bermuda to avoid religious persecution only to smack into Devil’s Backbone reef. They managed to get ashore, name their refuge “Eleuthera” from the Greek word for “free,” and take shelter in Preacher’s Cave where they carved Pulpit Rock for sermons. I had the willies in the cave, but then it’s also an ancient burial ground for the extinct Lucayan people; archeologists dug up a shaman’s remains, a beheaded skeleton and a 1,000-year-old tooth.

Another must-see is the Glass Window Bridge, a 30-foot-wide natural rock formation (“the narrowest place on Earth”) topped by a manmade paved bridge (no glass). Visually striking, the calm, turquoise Bight of Eleuthera waters lie on one side; on the other the churning cobalt Atlantic.

Potlatch isn’t within walking distance of much, although the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve beckoned a block away. I fixated on medicinal flora and learned home-brewed tea from horse bush relives chest congestion, a bound thatch palm can “pull de heat out a de head,” according to a sign, and snakeroot cures intestinal worms. Also, from Potlatch, a 10-minute stroll on powdery sands brought us to funky beach bar Tippy’s; the men’s restroom door is labeled “Bob” and covered by Marley’s likeness.

One balmy morning, about 45 miles from Potlatch, we hopped on a five-minute water taxi ride to tiny Harbour Island, known as the “Nantucket of the Bahamas” and luring privileged visitors and multi-million-dollar yachts. (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce vacationed there.) The main mode of transportation — golf carts — puttered past brightly colored colonial-era homes erected by British Loyalists starting in the 1700s.

On a side street, a lively brass band paraded with a coffin containing a departed gent, as we popped into Vic-Hum Club, a 70-year-old landmark bar totally plastered with memorabilia. Co-owner Jay-Jay Percentie — an exuberant local councilman, justice of the peace and self-anointed Prince of Dunmore (the only town on Harbour Island) — proudly took the “world’s largest coconut” off a shelf.

“It’s got a diameter of 33 inches even though it’s shrunk over 40 years,” he boasted, holding out the monstrous, hefty, hard-shelled thing. “It washed up in 1983. Maybe it came from Indonesia. It sure traveled over the Atlantic Ocean to make it here.”

A mystery yes, but back at the Potlatch, there were more secrets to unravel. The word “potlatch” refers to a North American Indigenous ceremony during which possessions are given away to show wealth, fortuitous for the initial owners and freebie clientele. (The new hotel offers breakfast-inclusive rates from $659 — and yes, you must pay.)

To channel the past, I quietly sat in Potlatch’s library, surrounded by the long-lost piano, worn tennis rackets that Febles found stored, vintage photos of the early Potlatch, and its brochure stating “children under ten must be accompanied by a nurse.” On the wall hung a copy of Sir Paul’s handwritten lyrics to “Oh! Darling” on Potlatch notepaper. Febles said he acquired the duplicate from the Liverpool Beatles Museum that retains the original.

However, one prized relic is no longer on display. Months ago, a deck of old playing cards, inscribed “Potlatch Club” in gold letters, had been exhibited under a glass dome in the library. Suddenly, the deck vanished. Febles said guests had already checked out and weren’t suspects. Five days later, the card deck magically reappeared right beside the glass dome. Perhaps borrowed by Potlatch ghosts for a friendly game of bridge.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations.

The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration.

“This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,” Giorgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China.

“I’m practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up” says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. “I just can’t handle them all on my own” he said.

After lifting tough COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

30 days for many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast

In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan.

About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis.

For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. “They don’t very often open, so it was much harder” he said.

“The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,” said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specializes in boutique and luxury routes for international travelers. She said business is up 50% compared with before the pandemic.

While the U.S. remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30% of their current business, European travelers now make up 15–20% of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5% before 2019, according to Zhao. “We’re quite optimistic” Zhao said, “we hope these benefits will continue.”

Trip.com Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, with 75% of the visitors from visa-free regions.

No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent’s relatively close ties with China.

North Americans and some others in transit can enter for 10 days

Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country’s National Immigration Administration.

The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren’t: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Aside from the U.K., Sweden is the only other high-income European country that didn’t make the 30-day list. Ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China.

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, Israel has been locked in an ongoing conflict with neighboring countries and territories, most prominently in Gaza, where about 50 Israeli hostages remain and more than 50,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed, and in Iran, where Israel and the United States launched missile attacks on nuclear sites last month. Israeli air space was subsequently closed to travel until June 24.

Tourism to Israel has suffered, and the continuing hostilities have made many frequent visitors reluctant to make the trip. But despite travelers’ hesitancy, some South Floridians with deep connections to the country say now is an important time to go.

“My first piece of advice is: Go, don’t be afraid,” said Delray Beach resident Katie Colburn, who has visited the country about 20 times, most recently in April. “They need us to come right now.”

Rabbi Josh Broide of Boca Raton Synagogue, who is moving to Israel this summer, said travelers are often in awe of Israelis’ resilience.

“Life goes on and visitors are warmly welcomed,” Broide said. “The best way to support the country is to be there — to see it, to stand with it and to experience its strength firsthand.”

There are many experts and travel veterans to consult if you are considering a trip, including your family, tour leaders, Israelis you know and the U.S. Department of State. If you are ready to commit, here are some tips from South Florida travelers and the State Department to help with a smooth visit.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Check advisories. The U.S. Department of State provides updates on conditions on the ground. As of July 1, the current advisory says Americans should “reconsider” travel to Israel and the West Bank. The statement warns Americans to stay at least 7 miles from Gaza, 2.5 miles from the Syrian and Lebanese borders, and 1.5 miles from the Egyptian border, except for the Taba crossing between Egypt and Israel, which is open. Go to travel.state.gov.

Don’t forget your ETA-IL. For the past year, American visitors have had to get an Electronic Travel Authorization to enter the country. You’ll have to answer a few questions online about your passport and the purpose of your visit. The ETA lets visitors stay in Israel for 90 days and costs about $7. Go to www.gov.il/en/departments/topics/eta-il.

Enroll in STEP. The free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, allows the U.S. Embassy to keep in touch and send weather and security alerts. You can also share your itinerary so its staff can find you in an emergency. Go to mytravel.state.gov/s/step.

Download the Israel Home Front Command app. This app will send alerts targeted to your location during emergencies. It also allows users to contact the Home Front Command, the Israel Defense Forces’ civil defense unit.

Wherever you’re staying, ask where the closest secured spaces are and find them before going to bed. Traveler Katie Colburn said she heard sirens while she and her husband, David, were sleeping at their hotel in Jerusalem, but they stayed in their room. They weren’t sure what the protocol was. The Israeli government advises tourists and citizens to head for a shelter or safe room when they hear these alarms, which warn of immediate danger.

Know where the closest shelters are if you are out and about. Rabbi Leon Weissberg said there are signs in public places throughout the country directing people to shelters. “You’ll see security everywhere, you’ll see arrows to shelters everywhere,” said the Cooper City resident, who visited in April. “The signs are so prominent now, and they’re in English, Hebrew and Arabic.” The sirens give a 1.5-minute warning of a missile or rocket attack in the central part of the country; times in other areas vary from 3 minutes to “15 seconds or less.”

Stay away from large public assemblies. The U.S. Embassy recommends American visitors steer clear of protests and areas with a large police presence. “Avoid demonstrations and crowds,” the embassy said in a July 1 alert.

Find a professional guide or go with a group if you want to see kibbutzes in the south that were affected by the Oct. 7 raids. “Go with a good guide who can give context and meaning,” Rabbi Broide said. Check in advance to see whether the kibbutz you wish to visit is open; some remain evacuated and closed to tourists.

Stepping up to the table, the tourist squinted to make out what lay underneath the dusty glass top. “ANCIENT EGYPTIAN GAME, IVORY, 3,000 BC” read the typed index card next to several pale yellow pieces that perhaps only Indiana Jones would ever guess as being remnants of archaic amusement.

In any other museum in any other city, this 5,000-year-old archeological find would likely be its piece de resistance. But this is Cairo we’re talking about. The place has ancient artifacts coming out of the Sphinx’s ears. So, disrespectful as it is to the 99% of historical treasures that are ignored in the capital city and elsewhere along a Nile River cruise, exhibit sprinting is necessary in order to cover the must-sees while visiting this cradle of civilization.

Before we go any further, let’s address the camel in the room: That cradle we speak of isn’t always civilized for foreign visitors not experienced in vacation destinations that are, to put it politely, challenging. Chaotic, confusing and claustrophobic, Egypt is a bucket lister’s dream, but a nightmare for many, logistically and societally. Where tourists go, aggressive and relentless entrepreneurs follow — even deep inside tombs at the sacred Valley of the Kings and Giza pyramids. Hawkers in frenetic Bangkok and Shanghai are like refined Nordstrom sales associates compared to the element visitors must endure while exploring Egypt. One AmaWaterways guide — pardon me, Egyptologist — calls the high-pressure parade of pests greeting you on all the hallowed grounds as “valley of the vendors.”

And, yet, despite all its mummified warts, Egypt is so worth it. An itinerary that spans Cairo, Luxor, Edfu, Aswan, and Abu Simbel — the classic heavyweights of Egyptian tourism — feels like your sixth-grade ancient civilizations textbook has leapt off the page. No longer will your wanderlust be teased by mere rotating images on your screensaver because you’re actually there. For most of us, this truly is the trip of a lifetime.

For the fortunate few who have explored this pinch-me region multiple times and multiple ways, the key takeaway, besides indelible memories, is to leave logistics to the professionals. Planning and executing a trip that covers the major sights requires skills and insights beyond even the most organized traveler. Props to the intrepid independent traveler who succeeds, but the wise will do their blood pressure and mental health a favor by seeking help from a travel advisor who specializes in Egypt.

Or, even simpler, book a luxury Nile cruise and let an entire team deal with the headaches. The higher-end cruise lines live for this stuff, and their sole purpose, besides turning a profit, is to deliver an unforgettable vacation where you can explore King Tutankhamun’s tomb one day, behold a 4,500-year-old pyramid the next, and later in the week enjoy an afternoon tea at the very hotel where Agatha Christie wrote her classic whodunit, “Death on the Nile.”

On cruises with the larger, English-speaking brands, the river portion that begins in Luxor is typically five to eight nights, preceded by a whirlwind four-day, three-night immersion in and around Cairo. While the competitive climate is nearly as wide as the Nile itself, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Scenic Cruises, and Viking River Cruises rank among the top companies operating year-round.

Value-wise, it’s hard to beat California-based AmaWaterways (amawaterways.com), which has found a sweet spot between ultra-luxury Scenic Cruises (www.scenicusa.com) and premium-class Avalon Waterways (avalonwaterways.com) and Viking River Cruises (vikingcruises.com). Through 2026, fares for AmaWaterways’ 12-day “Secrets of Egypt & the Nile” were ranging from $4,294 to $7,829 per person, double occupancy, at last check. Several sails were priced even less than brands of a lower category; Scenic, by comparison, was running at around $10,000 per person, double occupancy, for comparable 13-day “Treasures of Egypt” cruises this fall. Generally, Scenic offers more under the all-inclusive label, such as gratuities, a butler and unlimited premium-brand drinks.

Going premium or above will have you walking like an Egyptian in style, but if your budget is more like that of a vizier than a pharaoh, the Nile has no shortage of domestic companies that follow a similar itinerary for less. That said, if there ever was a place where the idiom, “you get what you pay for,” applies, it’s Egypt. Being frugal can put you on a ramshackle ship with a nose-picking cook and dead moth on your bed pillow (been there) or a vessel that shamelessly chuga-chugas on the river as plumes of black smoke billow off the back (done that). To both, we say, “La, shukran!”

Sadly, not every ship that meanders the Nile is a well-oiled machine, AmaWaterways runs two vessels that are. The 82-passenger AmaLilia, which joined the fleet last year, and the slightly older and more intimate AmaDahlia practically run like clockwork set to Eastern European time. Tight ships are the norm in river cruise-happy Europe, but the Middle East is a different desert animal. Daunting, gritty and bearing a supply chain that’s not always unbroken, Egypt doesn’t make things easy on cruise lines. So, when they deliver a near-flawless experience, that’s nearly as stunning as how in the world the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids that still stand today.

The answer to that one, along with a dizzying amount of other fun facts, are happily shared by guides whose services are included in the fare of most luxury cruises. If they’re like the Egyptologists contracted by AmaWaterways, every notable temple, tomb, pyramid and statue prompts an interesting story. Guests will get a day of TMI on a full day spent in Giza thanks to a robust schedule that begins with a visit to Saqqara, site of King Djoser’s groundbreaking Step Pyramid, which, dating back to 2670 BCE, is considered the first large-scale stone building in history. Then it’s back on the air-conditioned bus to visit the dual headline act of the Giza pyramid complex and equally iconic Sphinx. It’s almost unreal that you get to take in all this before lunch rolls around.

Capping off “Giza Day,” after a view-blessed gourmet lunch at the legendary Mena House, it’s off to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM. Spanning nearly 5.3 million square feet and housing over 100,000 artifacts, the new crown jewel of Egypt is the largest archaeological museum in the world and tops among any dedicated to a single civilization.

Since July 3, GEM is even more of a must-see, having just publicly unveiled the complete collection of King Tut’s treasures in a climate-controlled dedicated wing. The gems inside GEM include Tut’s golden funerary mask that since 1934 had been on display at the old Egyptian Museum in Cairo’s Tahrir Square — the one with those neglected ancient game pieces made of ivory. More than 5,000 of the boy king’s artifacts are now displayed together for the first time since their discovery in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Something had to give when AmaWaterways added GEM to the itinerary, and drawing the short straw was the visit to Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt. No offense to the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty, but it’s the right call. The last full day in the Cairo area is already an abundance of riches. Then again, so is the entire week, which is spent seeing the best of Luxor (highlighted by the tomb-raided Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple), the remarkably preserved Temple of Horus in Edfu, an enjoyable felucca sail around Elephantine Island and the Crocodile Museum in Kom Ombo. One of the more interactive activities is a visit to a Nubian village for singing, dancing and smiles with gracious representatives of the indigenous people whose history dates back thousands of years.

Optional add-ons on a Nile cruise can include afternoon tea at the 19th-century Old Cataract Hotel, though on one particular day it surprisingly lacked elegance and good service, and a visit to the historical and engineering marvel that is Abu Simbel. That splurge is worth the investment of around $420 that includes a quick round-trip flight on Egyptair from Aswan to the gateway of the iconic twin temples carved into the cliffs near Lake Nasser.

Every luxury cruise line has its strengths and weaknesses, but based on experience, AmaWaterways and Scenic seem to have barely a hint of the latter. Their forte is a focus on immersive experiences and unique itineraries, and that starts with the hotel nights in Cairo. AmaWaterways contracts with two properties; AmaLilia guests stay at the St. Regis and it’s the Nile Ritz-Carlton for passengers booked on AmaDahlia. Scenic checks in their guests at Mena House and St. Regis. Can’t go wrong with any of them.

Accommodations and amenities are first-rate aboard the luxury-class floating hotels, too. On AmaLilia, for one, 24 of the 34 spacious staterooms feature French balconies, a spa, gym and well-stocked bar, and up top on the sundeck are a heated pool, another bar and lots of loungers. And, oh, the food. Every meal on AmaWaterways’ two vessels includes indigenous delights among the marvelous buffet spreads at breakfast and lunch, and full-service dinners.

With outings scheduled most mornings and afternoons, onboard programming is understandably and mercifully light. Daytime activities range from engaging lectures to hands-on cooking demonstrations, while evening entertainment often features local performers who offer an effortless way to enjoy regional music and dance without ever leaving the ship.

Cultural authenticity takes a holiday for the sake of Luxor-sized laughs on the end-of-trip game night. Nothing says “Nile cruise” more than when passengers compete to see who can mummify each other fastest using rolls of toilet paper. But like much of this epic Egyptian escapade, even this game comes with unwarranted complications. Memo to AmaWaterways: Single-ply toilet paper may be best for a ship’s plumbing, but not so great when wrapping humans.

Our group of four kayaks was more than 50 feet inside a cave along the coast of Santa Cruz Island, one of five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park.

The cave stretched much deeper but our guide, with safety in mind, kept us near the entrance.

The group spent a few minutes inside the cave fighting the swell and negotiating the sea walls before moving on to the next one.

Our trip had already been pushed back a day because of rough weather that was moving out of the area.

As the skies cleared we were able to enjoy 90 minutes on the water learning about the ecosystem and natural features of the island from our trained guide.

Channel Islands National Park had just over 262,000 recreation visits in 2024, making it one of the least visited in California, according to National Park Service data.

The islands aren’t easy to get to and services are limited.

The parks website says “A visit to the Channel Islands is an exercise in preparation and self-reliance”.

Those who make it to Santa Cruz after an hourlong ferry ride out of Ventura are rewarded with 77 miles of craggy coastline cliffs, vast sea caves and vibrant tide pools.

The island has 31 campsites each with a picnic table and an animal box for food. Potable water is available at Scorpion Anchorage but not Prisoners Harbor.

Campsites are a short 1/2-mile walk from the dock at Scorpion Anchorage and most sites have some shade.

Most of Santa Cruz Island is privately owned by The Nature Conservancy.

The eastern side, about 24% of the island, is managed by the National Park Service where day hikers and campers can explore.

The ferry brings visitors to Scorpion Anchorage where it backs up to a movable platform at the dock.

Guests then, with the help of staff, time the swell to step onto the platform and the dock.

A ranger gives a short orientation and guidance to help protect the island’s ecosystem.

The islands are home to unique plants and animals, including distinct subspecies of deer mouse and Island fox. Twenty-three creatures are endemic terrestrial animals — those found in only one geographic area and nowhere else on earth — on the islands.

The bright blue Island scrub jay is only found on Santa Cruz Island.

Compared to its mainland cousin, the California scrub jay, it is a darker blue, larger and has a unique call.

Structures from Scorpion Ranch are visible right off the boat and educate visitors on the history of the island.

From the 1850s to the mid-2000’ feral sheep and pigs as well as introduced animals called Santa Cruz Island home. Livestock ranching began in the 1850s with sheep, cattle, horses and pigs. Hay, vegetables, almonds, grapes and walnuts were also grown.

In the 1880s structures were added including ranch houses, winery, a chapel and blacksmith and saddle shops. Kilns were also added to make bricks and mortar, according to the National Park Service website.

The island was privately owned until 1997 when the it was sold to the National Park Service.

Today on Santa Cruz visitors can tour sea caves, rent snorkeling equipment or sign up for kayaking or snorkeling tours. Reservations must be made in advance on the mainland so planing ahead is key.

As the NPS website says, there are “no remedies for poor planning once you have arrived”.

If you go

Ferry reservations: Island Packers: 805-642-1393; islandpackers.com

Camp site reservations: Recreation.gov

Island tours: Santa Barbara Adventure Co.: 805-884-9283; www.sbadventureco.com

MADRID (AP) — Suitcases rattle against cobblestones. Selfie-snappers jostle for the same shot. Ice cream shops are everywhere. Europe has been called the world’s museum, but its record numbers of visitors have also made it ground zero for concerns about overtourism.

Last year, 747 million international travelers visited the continent, far outnumbering any other region in the world, according to the U.N.’s World Tourism Barometer. Southern and Western Europe welcomed more than 70% of them.

As the growing tide of travelers strains housing, water and the most Instagrammable hotspots in the region, protests and measures to lessen the effects of overtourism have proliferated.

Here’s a look at the issue in some of Europe’s most visited destinations.

What’s causing overtourism

Among factors driving the record numbers are cheap flights, social media, the ease of travel planning using artificial intelligence and what U.N. tourism officials call a strong economic outlook for many rich countries that send tourists despite some geopolitical and economic tensions.

Citizens of countries like the U.S., Japan, China and the U.K. generate the most international trips, especially to popular destinations, such as Barcelona in Spain and Venice in Italy. They swarm these places seasonally, creating uneven demand for housing and resources such as water.

Despite popular backlash against the crowds, some tourism officials believe they can be managed with the right infrastructure in place.

Italy’s Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè said she thinks tourism flows at crowded sites such Florence’s Uffizi Galleries that house some of the world’s most famous artworks could be better managed with AI, with tourists able to buy their tickets when they book their travel, even months in advance, to prevent surges.

She pushed back against the idea that Italy — which like all of its Southern European neighbors, welcomed more international visitors in 2024 than its entire population — has a problem with too many tourists, adding that most visits are within just 4% of the country’s territory.

“It’s a phenomenon that can absolutely be managed,” Santanchè told The Associated Press in an interview in her office on Friday. “Tourism must be an opportunity, not a threat — even for local communities. That’s why we are focusing on organizing flows.”

Where overtourism is most intense

Countries on the Mediterranean are at the forefront. Olympics-host France, the biggest international destination, last year received 100 million international visitors, while second-place Spain received almost 94 million — nearly double its own population.

Protests have erupted across Spain over the past two years. In Barcelona, the water gun has become a symbol of the city’s anti-tourism movement after marching protests have spritzed unsuspecting tourists while carrying signs saying: “One more tourist, one less resident!”

The pressure on infrastructure has been particularly acute on Spain’s Canary and Balearic Islands, which have a combined population of less than 5 million people. Each archipelago saw upwards of 15 million visitors last year.

Elsewhere in Europe, tourism overcrowding has vexed Italy’s most popular sites including Venice, Rome, Capri and Verona, where Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” was set. On the popular Amalfi Coast, ride-hailing app Uber offers private helicopter and boat rides in the summer to beat the crowds.

Greece, which saw nearly four times as many tourists as its own population last year, has struggled with the strain on water, housing and energy in the summer months, especially on popular islands such as Santorini, Mykonos and others.

The impact of overtourism

In Spain, anti-tourism activists, academics, and the government say that overtourism is driving up housing costs in city centers and other popular locations due to the proliferation of short-term rentals that cater to visitors.

Others bemoan changes to the very character of city neighborhoods that drew tourists in the first place.

In Barcelona and elsewhere, activists and academics have said that neighborhoods popular with tourists have seen local shops replaced with souvenir vendors, international chains and trendy eateries.

On some of Greece’s most-visited islands, tourism has overlapped with water scarcity as drought grips the Mediterranean country of 10.4 million.

In France, the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, shut down this week when its staff went on strike warning that the facility was crumbling beneath the weight of overtourism, stranding thousands of ticketed visitors lined up under the baking sun.

Angelos Varvarousis, a Barcelona- and Athens-based academic and urban planner who studies the industry, said overtourism risks imposing a “monoculture” on many of Europe’s hotspots.

“It is combined with the gradual loss and displacement of other social and economic activities,” Varvarousis said.

What authorities are doing to cope

Spain’s government wants to tackle what officials call the country’s biggest governance challenge: its housing crunch.

Last month, Spain’s government ordered Airbnb to take down almost 66,000 properties it said had violated local rules — while Barcelona announced a plan last year to phase out all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028. Officials said the measure was to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents.

Elsewhere, authorities have tried to regulate tourist flows by cracking down on overnight stays or imposing fees for those visiting via cruises.

In Greece, starting July 1, a cruise tax will be levied on island visitors at 20 euros ($23) for popular destinations like Mykonos and 5 euros ($5.70) for less-visited islands like Samos.

The government has also encouraged visitors to seek quieter locations.

To alleviate water problems, water tankers from mainland Greece have helped parched islands, and the islands have also used desalination technology, which separates salts from ocean water to make it drinkable, to boost their drinking water.

Other measures have included staggered visiting hours at the Acropolis.

Meanwhile, Venice brought back an entry fee this year that was piloted last year on day-trippers who will have to pay between 5 and 10 euros (roughly $6 to $12) to enter the city during the peak season.

AP journalists Laurie Kellman in London, Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and David Biller in Rome contributed to this report.