#travel-sun-safety

#travel-sun-safety

Well-being has never been more at the forefront of our minds than now, and there have never been more excuses to practice wellness on a daily basis. From sound baths in the Maldives to recovery lounges in Napa Valley, 2026 is set to see boundary-pushing wellness trends in the travel world.

Rare Disease Day, on 28 February, highlights the more than 6,100 conditions identified worldwide, including xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disorder that affects just over 100 people in France. Those affected are often referred to as Children of the Moon, a name that reflects their extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet light.

Back in chilly February, when you were bored at work, you didn't think twice about booking a wine tasting and zipline excursion back to back. By the time reality hits in July, you're desperately chugging water to try and stave off heat stroke. Just like that, your 'relaxing' getaway is not so relaxing at all.

On day five of an eight-day, 500-mile mountain bike race in Africa, Piers Constable found himself sprawled in the dirt for the second time. First he'd crashed on his left side, then on his right, until he was, in his own words, "muddied and bloodied," staring at a bike that was very much broken. He remembered a feed station a couple miles away and realized he had two choices: quit or run. He picked up the bike and ran.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

The weather this week looks ideal, with sunny to modestly sunny skies each day, temperatures in the mid-70s to low-80s. Evening temperatures should drop to around the 60s throughout the workweek. Winds should be relatively calm, and humidity will be moderate. Things could change a bit over the coming weekend, with chances of showers increasing Saturday night into Sunday. Conditions also will remain dry.

I recently returned from my fifth trip to French Polynesia-specifically, Bora Bora-and I remain convinced it's the most beautiful place on earth. Since I first honeymooned there in 2010, every trip back feels just as awe-inspiring as the first: impossibly turquoise lagoons, powder-soft sand, Instagram-worthy overwater bungalows, and underwater scenes that are almost too magical to be real. But here's something else about this kind of paradise: It's remote.

I caught myself doing it again last week-meticulously applying sunscreen to my face while completely ignoring my neck. It wasn't until I saw a photo from my friend's wedding that I noticed the difference. My face looked smooth and even-toned, but my neck? Let's just say it was telling a different story. The fine lines and slight sagging made me realize I'd been treating my neck like it was somehow immune to aging. Turns out, I've had it backward this whole time.

As a teenager, Davis was always striving to be thinner, obsessed with tracking calories and terrified to date or be intimate with anybody in case they commented on her body. Even going to the beach with friends was fraught. I'd wait for them to go into the ocean first, because I felt really insecure, she says. Some days I'd cancel and say I was sick.

When my neighbor Tom celebrated his 65th birthday last month, his kids threw him what they thought was the perfect party: comfortable chair, cozy slippers, and a stack of crossword puzzles. Meanwhile, three doors down, 68-year-old Margaret was booking her first skydiving lesson. The contrast struck me-why do we assume retirement means slowing down when some people are just getting started on their biggest adventures?

However, looking back, I didn't need to bring my own snorkeling gear. Last year, my husband and I decided to celebrate his birthday in Hawaii. We fell in love with Maui's natural beauty and endless beaches, and a few short months later, found ourselves returning to the state to spend time in Kona on the Big Island, where the laid-back atmosphere enchanted us.

On my first day at Canyon Ranch's $20,000 four-day Longevity8 retreat in November, the schedule sounded dauntingly packed: I received a list of appointments with doctors and wellness specialists across a range of fields, from fitness to flexibility, meditation to mental health. In between electrocardiograms, carotid ultrasounds, and DEXA scans, I would attend spa appointments, fitness classes, and group hikes through the Santa Catalina Mountains;

The Holiday Happiness Index study, which was conducted in collaboration with Natalie Dattilo-Ryan, a Harvard-affiliated clinical psychologist and holistic happiness expert, looked at 50 destinations throughout the world and ranked them across five "feel good" factors, including sunlight, quality sleep, a healthy diet, time in nature, and physical exercise. To determine which are the sunniest, the study also took into account each place's total hours of sunlight per year.

As the final hours of 2024 crept up, I sat on my parents' hardwood floor with a giant whiteboard, a box of colorful markers, magazine cutouts and a Don Fulano Margarita. It's become a New Year's Eve tradition to make a vision board, my creative outlet to manifest what's to come, along with picking a color and a word to live by for the upcoming year.

My mother and I are at our best when unwinding on the beach with a piña colada in hand. It's not that we don't love adventurous travel; it's just that our travel styles are different. She's all about going with the flow, and I prefer to have a plan and a well-balanced itinerary. But one thing we both appreciate is a good tropical resort.

My forearms are throbbing, my feet are cramping and my eyes burn from the salty sting of the Atlantic Ocean. And yet I'm oddly euphoric, high on the rush of flying above the water, propelled by the wind. Around me, wings launch 10, even 20 feet in the air, like fireworks lighting up the sky. My wing zips around beneath them, my board barely hovering two feet above the sea - nowhere near as high as I'd like to be, but there's still time.