Central America

When we say you're saving toonies with Takeoff, we mean it!

Victoria

Canada

Guatemala City

Guatemala

Vancouver

Calgary

Guatemala 🌋 in $550s-$590s RT

Number 11 on my bucket list? See a volcano erupt...

Montreal

Guatemala 🌋 at $334 RT

There's something for everyone in here...

Brussels

Belgium

Managua

Nicaragua

Munich

Germany

Luxembourg

Panama City

Panama

Berlin

Dusseldorf

Frankfurt

Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua 🌋 in €540s-€600s rtn  

Last minute? Totally. Unreasonable? Nope. 

Guatemala🌋 at $564 RT 

Hamburg

Bremen

Nuremberg

Hanover

Stuttgart

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Leipzig

Dresden

Cologne

Guatemala 🌴 in €540s-€590s rtn 

"3 steps up, 1 step back" Summiting the top is not for the weak-kneed.

Los Angeles

United States

Guatemala 🌋in $270s-$310s RT

Hey, I forgot to answer you. I booked Guatemala City!! 😍😍
First, I was looking at Costa Rica, but the arrival time is all very late and I couldn't pick up the cheap rental car. Then I started to look at Guatemala, and Voila!

Postcard from Midori

I am so excited to go to Guatemala, all because of your amazing emails that alerted me to this deal! I have been having a hard time traveling this year due to starting a new business and not having the funds like I used to. This trip is exactly what I need!

Postcard from ALYSSA

Thanks for this heads up, I've been waiting for a cheapish fare to Guatemala for some time. Its not that cheap if you get any jetBlue upgrades (+£150 Minimum) so might want to point that out for their flights in future. But i'm happy to be going. Thank you!

Postcard from Benedick

Never thought to go to Guatemala. But at my age, beginning 50's I tend to explore earth before getting to old. With  a Family of 5 this kind of trips gets too expensive. So I booked a return ticket for 1, hahaha.... I must say, they were happy I did. I will certainly send some pics. Thanks anyway...... Was a great choice to join your club! 430 return from Düsseldorf... Nice!

Postcard from Tsi

Mexico

Spain

Finland

Fiji

France

Scotland

Sri Lanka

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

Olivia - Sub-Editor of the Detour

Permanent Souvenirs: Our Travel Tattoo Tales&nbsp;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Travel Tales

Jack's Gone Global: Where We Went in 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Travel Tips

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

Travel News

Ringing in 2026 with Our Travel Memories

Brazil

French Guiana

Hey there Travellers,
It is nice to see that you're not an overly judgemental bunch. Last week, I asked you for&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-214-ultimate-carry-on-respectful-dressing">your take on "respectful dressing"</a> at 38,000 ft, and the feedback was generally pretty balanced: comfort is paramount, but (when you have the choice) there's no need to be sloppy.
There were a few exceptions, however. Some of you felt that travel is indeed a special occasion, so we should dress appropriately, while others were defiant in the face of budget discomfort &mdash; if the airlines won't rise to the occasion, why should we?
Needless to say, I'm not planning to wear my Sunday best this afternoon, when I board a Ryanair flight to Porto for my last foreign adventure of the year. I'll probably make sure there aren't any coffee stains down my front before I board, but I can't guarantee there won't be a splash of port wine there by the time I return.
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

Searching for Culture Without the Crowds in Guatemala

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m interested in traveling to Guatemala, and I know almost nothing about it except that it looks really beautiful. I&rsquo;m interested in when might be a shoulder season there, still pleasant but not high season, as I don&rsquo;t love big crowds. I love getting to know villages and local culture as well as experiencing nature - mountains, hiking, and swimming.&rdquo;

Navigator Akasha finds phenomenal Flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

Answered by Akasha

Hey there, traveller! You&rsquo;re in the right place. I spent about 6 months in Guatemala, so I&rsquo;ve got heaps of tips for you.
As a solo female traveller, I&rsquo;ll start with what I wish someone had said to me about travelling in Guatemala: It&rsquo;s hard, it&rsquo;s beautiful, and it&rsquo;ll change you. It&rsquo;ll challenge everything you think you know if you let it. 
Once you allow yourself to be moved by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyWikR-XQUU">layers of Maya history</a>, the insane resilience of communities, and truly feel the weight and warmth of a place shaped by such struggle and beauty, you cannot unfeel or unknow. And isn&rsquo;t that one of the reasons why we travel to places like this? To feel something real enough that it stays with us long after we&rsquo;re home?

But to do that, please take my advice and step outside the &ldquo;expat&rdquo; bubble, especially since you said you don&rsquo;t like big crowds. Overtourism can be a real issue here, especially in places like Antigua, and even more so on the shores of Lake Atitl&aacute;n, where I spent most of my time. 
It&rsquo;s easy to be swept up by blogs promising a &ldquo;hippie mecca&rdquo; of self-declared healers and &ldquo;sacred&rdquo; retreats in San Marcos la Laguna. But trust me, not all that glitters is gold. Sadly, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubicomp.org/ubicomp-iswc-2023/attending/maya/">traditions of the Kaqchikel and Tz&rsquo;utujil</a> peoples have been watered down, mass-produced, and sold back as &ldquo;authentic.&rdquo; As a result, they are exploited, priced out, and often treated as background noise to the version of culture visitors prefer to consume. I won&rsquo;t go into detail here; that&rsquo;s another blog post in the making.

But if you are keen on visiting the lake, there are still a handful of towns that are a little less curated than San Marcos, San Pedro and Panajachel. They aren&rsquo;t entirely tourism-free but <a href="https://routinelynomadic.com/jaibalito-guatemala/">Jaibalito</a> and <a href="https://www.gypsysols.com/santa-cruz-la-laguna-lake-atitlan/">Santa Cruz la Laguna</a> offer more of a relaxing escape from the crowds, have a handful of locally run guesthouses, and some decent hiking (be sure to hire a guide). And San Juan, although firmly on the map, is <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/the-sacred-art-of-lake-atitlans-weavers">home to Maya women&rsquo;s weaving co-operatives</a> that specialize in naturally dyed textiles that align with the Mayan moon calendar.
These cooperatives play a pivotal role in the community, preserving traditional weaving techniques and improving the overall quality of life for the local women. You can take workshops here run directly by the families themselves. San Juan is also the unofficial gateway to the sunrise Indian Nose Hike; but again, remember to always go with a guide!&nbsp;
Many towns across the lake also have family-run Spanish programs or <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/guatemala-homestay/">homestays paired with lessons</a>.&nbsp;

Since you mentioned that you &ldquo;love getting to know villages and local culture as well as experiencing nature/mountains&rdquo;, I&rsquo;d recommend certain parts of Guatemala that sit well beyond the Atitl&aacute;n&ndash;Antigua loop.
<a href="https://sightdoing.net/ixil-triangle-guatemala/">The Ixil Triangle</a> in the Western Highlands (Nebaj, Chajul, Cotzal) is one of the most culturally rich and resilient regions in the country. And being right up in the Highlands, your guide will be able to take you on some fantastic hikes.
The Ixil people live in the high, rugged <a href="https://www.highlux.co.nz/2017/09/exploring-the-sierra-de-los-cuchumatanes/">mountains of the Cuchumatanes</a>, which has historically kept them pretty isolated. This allowed them to maintain their unique customs, dress, and language longer than many lowland Maya groups who faced more colonial influence. 
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/guatemala-culture-without-the-crowds">Keep reading...</a>

Reader's Corner

Navigator Fran is an Italian globetrotter with a passion for remote destinations and snacking. Currently based in Brussels, she'll gladly tell you where to find the yummiest fries around the city.

By Fran

Every time someone asks me what was the most unforgettable trip I have ever taken, I can&rsquo;t help but think of the month I spent in the Amazon Rainforest,&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/navigating-the-amazon-in-three-weeks">navigating the Amazon River on hammock boats</a>.

It&rsquo;s been over four years since I waved goodbye to those 5am breakfast calls and pink dolphin spotting sessions, and &mdash; although I&rsquo;ve loved discovering other corners of Brazil and its incredible culture &mdash; my itch to return to the Amazon has been growing and growing.
So, while most of my friends will be enjoying Carnaval on the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia this February, I&rsquo;ve decided to embark on a voyage to complete my navigation of the Amazon River. This time, my dear friend Phil and I will navigate from Bel&eacute;m do Par&aacute; all the way to Macap&aacute;, in Amap&aacute; state, and then spend a week or so in the area.

How much do we know about Amap&aacute;? Virtually nothing. And while we&rsquo;re incredibly excited about the adventure ahead, information about what to do in the area is veeeeery scarce. For the record &mdash; this is all part of the fun when it comes to&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/the-south-american-countries-we-never-talk-about">discovering underrated corners of South America</a>, of course!
Now, if you <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/JxddvEALsmQ7YGrh6">take a peek at the map</a>, you&rsquo;ll see that the state of Amap&aacute; borders French Guiana. As a good ol&rsquo; Border Studies alumnus, hopping over the Oyapok River is already on my bucket list, and for the past couple of days, I&rsquo;ve been on the search for fun projects and detours around the area.
What made my Amazon escapade so special last time were the connections I made on the <s>road </s>river, and all the culture I was lucky enough to be welcomed into, allowed to listen to and photograph. 
So, now I turn to you &mdash; well-seasoned travellers who aren&rsquo;t scared of venturing off the beaten path and have visited French Guiana, Amap&aacute;, or even just Par&aacute;&rsquo;s hinterlands &mdash; do you have any advice for me? Let me know in the comments!
Muito obrigada, gente :-)

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>Can you guess which once isolated nation is becoming the fastest-growing travel destination on the planet? Hint:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" class="c-link" data-stringify-link="https://travelbinger.com/how-uzbekistan-became-the-silk-road-capital-for-21st-century-travelers/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="https://travelbinger.com/how-uzbekistan-became-the-silk-road-capital-for-21st-century-travelers/" rel="noopener noreferrer">It&rsquo;s a Stan</a><a target="_blank" class="c-link" data-stringify-link="https://travelbinger.com/how-uzbekistan-became-the-silk-road-capital-for-21st-century-travelers/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="https://travelbinger.com/how-uzbekistan-became-the-silk-road-capital-for-21st-century-travelers/" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>. </li>
<li>Somewhere at the bottom of the sea, Norway&rsquo;s busy building the world&rsquo;s longest and deepest undersea road tunnel. It aims to replace current ferries on the west coast faster than you can say&nbsp;&ldquo;<a target="_blank" class="c-link" data-stringify-link="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/norway-longest-deepest-underwater-tunnel-spc" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/norway-longest-deepest-underwater-tunnel-spc" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rogaland fastforbindelse</a>&rdquo; </li>
<li>As if removing their 2 free checked bags wasn&rsquo;t enough, Southwest Airlines is aiming to become public enemy number 1 by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/southwest-airlines-plus-size-policy-b2875948.html">charging&nbsp;plus-sized passengers</a>&nbsp;for two seats from January 27th, 2026. </li>
<li>Machu Picchu,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" class="c-link" data-stringify-link="https://www.remotelands.com/travelogues/alinja-castle-the-machu-picchu-of-the-caucasus/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="https://www.remotelands.com/travelogues/alinja-castle-the-machu-picchu-of-the-caucasus/" rel="noopener noreferrer">but make it Caucasus</a>. Would you travel all the way to rural Azerbaijan to see this lost city dupe? </li>
<li>And finally, spotted over South Africa&rsquo;s skies: is it a bird, is it a plane, is it Santa?&nbsp;Actually, it is one of those things, we're just not sure which. Think: high-speed sleigh pulled by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" class="c-link" data-stringify-link="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRuDRGHDd_O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRuDRGHDd_O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D" rel="noopener noreferrer">a springbok and a zebra</a>.</li>
</ul>

Central and South America: Jack's Style

Hey there, Travellers,
Tourism is often treated like a dirty word, as something inherently bad. And yes, there are plenty of examples of how tourism has a negative impact on the world &mdash; just take pollution, overcrowding, and housing shortages as examples.
But today marks the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/world-tourism-day-2025-how-it-is-leading-the-way-in-sustainable-travel-and-cultural-exchange/">UN's World Tourism Day</a>, a day on which the positive aspects of tourism are celebrated. This year's theme is Tourism and Sustainable Transformation, so there's no better time to take a peek at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com/inspiration/travel-green-list-2025/">Wanderlust's Green List</a> and inspire a more conscientious kind of adventure in 2026.
Beyond staying in eco resorts and flying selectively, how else can we give back to the destinations we visit? I'd love to hear your experiences and suggestions, so <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-205-world-tourism-day-community-travel#comments">drop us a comment</a> or reply to this email.
Happy travels and safe landings,

Pack Light, Travel Deep - How does our Crew do Community?

Navigator Akasha finds phenomenal flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

I&rsquo;m sitting in a cafe in Chiapas, the rich aroma of cacao curling around me as I sink into my workday with my $5 boujie drink. As I unfold my laptop to work, a little girl no more than four years old approaches. 
Brightly coloured Mayan clothes are streaked with dirt, and her shoes are two sizes too small. Her tiny, calloused hands tug at the hem of my sleeve.&nbsp;

She asks me in Spanish if I could please buy one of her heart-shaped keychains. My chest tightens. I&rsquo;ve already bought four this week, a gesture that feels both well-intentioned and absolutely meaningless in the face of such systemic injustice.&nbsp;
The pang of conscience jabs me somewhere between my ribs, and I feel... The Ache.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve yet to find an English word to describe this Ache with a capital A.&nbsp;
But trust the Germans to have an appropriate word:&nbsp;
Weltschmertz (n) lit. &ldquo;world-pain&rdquo;; the depression you feel when the world as it is doesn&rsquo;t reflect what you think it should be.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s easy to use travel as another form of escapism to cope with the state of the world right now. I&rsquo;m guilty of it too. But all too often I return from a trip feeling a little&hellip; hollow.&nbsp;
Sure, I enjoyed myself, saw the sights, snapped some pics. But the culture remains distant; tourism often feels extractive. And the little glimpses I do catch show me that underneath, communities struggle in ways we tourists can easily ignore.&nbsp;

Heavy, I know.&nbsp;
But then comes a small, unexpected reminder of good in the world. After I finished my work and packed up my things, I stepped out of the cafe. Not two minutes later, another girl on the street comes running after me, carrying the bag I&rsquo;d accidentally left behind.&nbsp;
Inside was everything &mdash; my laptop, my keys, my passport, and my iPad. She doesn&rsquo;t hesitate or ask for anything. She simply returns what isn&rsquo;t hers. Before I could blink, she vanished down the street, and I was left staring at the space she occupied&mdash;so small but carrying so much. The Ache returns.&nbsp;
But my favourite author Glennon Doyle says this: 
<blockquote>
&ldquo;We all have this misunderstanding about heartbreak, which is we think we should avoid it. But what I think is that heartache is a clue toward the work we're supposed to be doing in the world. What breaks each person's heart is different - be it racial injustice, war, or animals. And when you figure out what it is that breaks yours, go toward it. That's where you'll find the people doing world healing work. I really think all we're here for is purpose and connection, so follow your heartbreak&rdquo;
</blockquote>
So maybe Weltschmertz isn&rsquo;t a burden to carry but a compass. And instead of asking &ldquo;how can I see more of the world?&rdquo; the better question is &ldquo;how can I feel more of the world?&rdquo;
Things like community-led tours, volunteering, or even just spending time learning directly from locals can thoroughly change the way we experience a place on a deeper level.&nbsp;

I spent most of my twenties traveling on a shoestring using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.workaway.info/">Workaway</a>. From Hungary to Guatemala, I traded shifts in hostels, cleaned guesthouses and campsites in Slovenia and the Isle of Skye. I even did a stint on a yoga boat in Holland.&nbsp;
I met incredible people from all four corners of the globe. But truthfully, at the time, I was more focused on what travel could give me than what I might give back.&nbsp;
I wasn&rsquo;t really considering my impact or looking inward, just chasing experiences and trying my best to avoid the great big Ache.&nbsp;

So reading the Guardian&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/sep/21/community-tourism-trips-holiday-traditional-customs?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other">roundup of community tourism trips</a> ignited a flame in me to try again. Working with families in traditional weaving villages in the Andes, staying in Sri Lanka&rsquo;s first women-led hotel, or with herding families in the Gobi Desert.&nbsp;
It led me to ask myself, &ldquo;How do I want travel in my thirties to look?&rdquo; I want connection. I want to feel part of something bigger than myself, rather than just passing through. I want to be challenged by my limiting beliefs and lean into The Ache and to recognize that it isn&rsquo;t just mine; it&rsquo;s ours.&nbsp;
And with <a href="https://www.untourism.int/world-tourism-day-2025">World Tourism Day</a> upon us, it&rsquo;s the perfect time to reflect: what kind of tourism are we celebrating?&nbsp;

Maybe you&rsquo;ve hiked with local Bedouin guides in Jordan, joined a coral reef restoration in Australia, or spent a day with Sami reindeer herders. Perhaps you&rsquo;ve found that sweet spot on Workaway&mdash;or other volunteering sites&mdash;that I missed.&nbsp;
And if not, perhaps you too are dreaming of a trip that stays with you long after the journey ends?
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-205-world-tourism-day-community-travel#comments">Give us your thoughts in the comments</a>. Who knows, you might just inspire another Traveller to scratch beyond the surface.

First Class Fiascos: Should kids fly up front?

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

By Katy

Picture the scene:
You&rsquo;ve been planning a big, no-expenses-spared trip. You&rsquo;ve been saving up for ages, collecting airline points like crazy to offset some of the damage, and you&rsquo;ve actually done pretty well &mdash; so well, in fact, that you&rsquo;ve managed to upgrade to first class.&nbsp;
From the moment your trip begins at the airport, you&rsquo;re enjoying the perks; from speedy check-in and bag drop, to a relaxed visit to the lounge for something to eat and drink before you fly, and finally the joy of being among the first called on to board.

As you turn left through the aircraft door, full of hope, you see your fellow high-fliers settling in. And then it becomes apparent &mdash; you can&rsquo;t actually see them all, because some, in fact, are too small to be spotted among the sea of first-class thrones. They are children.
Are you phased? Filled with dread? Planning ways to slip a dash of whisky in their OJ? Or optimistic that these kids are probably seasoned travellers and know how to compose themselves, and their parents/guardians wouldn&rsquo;t fly with them up front if they couldn&rsquo;t stay calm?
When Emirates announced that they&rsquo;d no longer be awarding or accepting airline points on first class tickets for kids under 8, it revived an old debate about whether airlines should even allow children to fly in premium cabins. 
I asked you, the Jack&rsquo;s Community, for your take, and honestly, most of you were fairly balanced on the topic &mdash; even those of you who have had some&nbsp;mixed luck with your fellow fliers. Unsurprisingly, it&rsquo;s the accompanying adults who bear the brunt of your frustrations:

&ldquo;We recently had an overnight trip from Canada to the UK and we were both looking forward to a good few hours sleep in our business class suites, but we had 2 toddlers behind us screaming for a couple of hours. It ruined our trip as we couldn&rsquo;t sleep even with earplugs in.&rdquo; - NomadicVacationer08667
<hr>
To be honest, I have travelled first class with a 2 year old. Thankfully she was well behaved and slept for a while during the flight. I can understand though if you had a child who was not so well behaved, or a screamer or was running up and down the aisle, I wouldn&rsquo;t appreciate that. It&rsquo;s up to the parents to ensure their children are supervised and to respect &ldquo;cabin rules&rdquo; - GallantCruiser96497
<hr>
&ldquo;Having had a couple of horrible experiences with children in long-haul Business, I&rsquo;m going to stick my neck out and say allow kids in Business but ban them in First. Business gives families plenty enough room to be comfortable with children, whereas First is IMO more than required. If I had spent an even more fantastic amount on First than I do on Business, I&rsquo;d be very upset to be trapped with unruly kids.&nbsp;
And I say this just two days after returning from Australia to eastern Canada in Business, on the Sydney to Vancouver leg of which I was driven mad by an approximately six-year-old child. She was travelling with several family members spread across the cabin, and for 13 of the 14 hours she shouted out to all of them without stopping; she never talked in less than a shout. Her parents and older siblings did absolutely nothing to stop her (and she was old enough to be told), taking not the slightest notice of the remaining passengers, almost all of whom were trying to sleep. I&rsquo;m blaming the parents here, not the kid. I&rsquo;ve had worse on an Athens to Montreal flight (10 hours) in Business with twin toddler boys thumping their TV screens and screaming &ldquo;Papa! PAPA! Maman! MAMAN!&rdquo; for the entire flight; the parents simply ignored them. I blame the parents again.
I paid a lot of money for both flights, but I recognise that parents with children have a right to travel in reasonable comfort (read: space), but there&rsquo;s enough space in Business; First is unnecessary. Especially as there are plenty of irresponsible parents.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;- Tanya

Now, not all premium cabins are created equal, with &ldquo;Business&rdquo; and &ldquo;First&rdquo; offering varying levels of comfort and privacy on different aircraft and airlines. But just for the avoidance of doubt, one reader thinks we should take our cue from the name. <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/first-class-fiascos-should-kids-fly-in-premium-cabins">Keep reading...</a>

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>Here's why you should plan a visit to the Portuguese city of Guimar&atilde;es, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idealista.pt/en/news/lifestyle-in-portugal/2025/06/19/70281-guimaraes-europe-s-green-capital-for-2026">European Green Capital</a> for 2026. </li>
<li>Flying fancy to Fiji? <a href="https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/09/23/fiji-airways-cuts-amenity-kits-in-business-class/">Don't bank on a bumper amenity kit</a> to get you through the flight. </li>
<li>What budget airlines lack in frills, they can apparently make up for in accolades; <a href="https://simpleflying.com/another-on-the-shelf-wizz-air-wins-yet-another-sustainability-award/">Wizz Air has been crowned</a> 'Sustainable Airline of the Year 2025'. </li>
<li>While a great North American road trip is on many a bucket list, it turns out <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/10-national-parks-you-can-visit-by-train">you don't actually need a car</a> to reach many of the USA's epic national parks.&nbsp; </li>
<li>And finally, after a summer of fun, gallivanting around Austrian railways and Autobahns,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/23/austrian-authorities-capture-chaos-causing-problem-moose">social media icon Emil the moose</a> has been returned to the Bohemian woodlands for a quieter end to the year.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

World Tourism Day, Community Travel & Kids in First

If there's one thing I love about travelling, it's the surprising moments that offer a glimpse into another way of life and seeing the world.
During my time in Guatemala, I had many. But one little place that stood out to me along the shores of Lake Atitl&aacute;n was a teeny tiny village called San Juan La Laguna.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s just a quick boat taxi from Panajachel (party central) and San Marcos (cosplay hippie central) yet felt fairly overlooked by the masses. Probably down to its size &mdash; you&rsquo;re most likely only there to do one of two things; shop for textiles or start a hike. And that&rsquo;s precisely why I was there, too.&nbsp;

Known for its rich Tz'utujil Maya culture, San Juan La Laguna is home to inspiring<a href="https://www.sanjuanlalaguna.com.gt/en/culture/handicrafts/lema-association"> women-led weaving cooperatives</a> called Asociaci&oacute;n de Mujeres Tejedoras. It was here where I was schooled on the sacred connection of the moon and the importance of Mayan cosmology.
Each hand-woven piece not only carries beauty but is also encoded with <a href="https://www.mayanleague.org/maya-cosmovision">Mayan cosmovision</a>. No pattern is accidental; zigzags represent the mountains, the guardians of the lake, while diamonds represent the four corners of the universe. And that&rsquo;s all guided by the ancient wisdom of the moon.

The moon (known as <a href="https://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com/blog/2021/07/10/ixchel-mayan-goddess/">Ixchel</a>, the goddess of weaving, fertility, and wisdom) influences the energy of creation and plays a crucial role in shaping not only Mayan mythology but everyday life too. The women of San Juan observe the moon&rsquo;s phases to determine the best times for:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spinning thread &ndash; It is believed that thread spun under a waning moon will be stronger and less likely to break. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dyeing fabrics &ndash; Natural dyes (made from plants like indigo, cochineal, and avocado leaves) are said to absorb better during specific lunar phases, ensuring vibrant, long-lasting colours.&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Beginning a new weaving &ndash; Starting a textile during a new moon is considered auspicious, as it symbolizes new beginnings and growth.</li>
</ul>
Avoiding weaving on certain days &ndash; Some weavers refrain from weaving during the full moon, as it is thought to bring excessive energy that may disrupt the balance of the work.

As a visitor, I was encouraged to take weaving workshops and learn about the natural dyes made from plants, insects, and materials such as:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Indigo (jiquilite): Associated with the night sky and the underworld, indigo dyeing is often done in quiet, meditative conditions to honor its depth.&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Cochineal (tiny insects on cacti): The vibrant red symbolizes lifeblood and is linked to feminine energy. Harvesting and dyeing with cochineal is sometimes timed with the waxing moon to "draw up" its intensity. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Avocado leaves, basil &amp; other plants: Each carries their own story. For example, avocado pits create shades of pink&mdash;a color tied to dawn and new beginnings.</li>
</ul>

Cooperatives like <a href="https://www.woven-gt.com/pgina-nueva">Flor Ixcaco</a> and <a href="https://www.nomacollective.com/pages/lake-atitlan-women-s-weaving-cooperative">Noma</a> work tirelessly to empower local women, both socially and economically, ensuring fair wages. In many ways, these cooperatives are an act of resilience. Colonialism and globalization suppressed Mayan traditions, but the women of San Juan strive to reclaim their heritage and preserve their ancestral weaving techniques.&nbsp;

This glimpse into local life and ritual allowed me to witness something truly authentic and important to the people of San Juan La Laguna. I&rsquo;d encourage anyone visiting Lake Atitl&aacute;n to take the time to spend a day experiencing the lifestyle here for themselves.&nbsp;
So how can you engage ethically with these traditions?&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Listen and learn: Ask weavers, "How does Ixchel inspire your work?" or "What moon phase is best for dyeing?" Be open to learning about their rich traditions and beliefs without judgment.&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Buy directly from cooperatives: Support collectives like Casa Flor Ixcaco or Asociaci&oacute;n Batz&rsquo;. Avoid markets and online shops where resellers exploit artisans. Sadly, this is a common occurrence.&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Honor the sacred: Some designs may be ceremonial. Ask before photographing or touching, and the same goes for taking pictures of women weaving. And if you do join a dyeing workshop, participate with reverence &mdash; it&rsquo;s a spiritual process.</li>
</ul>

Guatemala

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