Travel

No matter what you think of Gary on “White Lotus,” you’ve got to admit his home in season 3 is a stunner. Known as Samujana Villa Jacinta and located in Koh Samui, Thailand, the home has four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Additional features include a rooftop terrace, infinity pool and private gym. And now you can rent it on Airbnb.

Your stay comes with daily breakfast and housekeeping, a welcome drink, dedicated attendant and private airport transfers. Add-on services include a private chef, spa services, babysitting and driving.

Rates vary but you can book in June for $1982 a night.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

We’ve never needed an entire suitcase just for wine, but love this two-bottle travel case from VinGardeValise, originators of the wine suitcase. No more wrapping our pajamas around a wine bottle and hoping we don’t arrive with a dripping suitcase full of wine-soaked clothes.

The travel case is made of a semi-hard shell case with an inner cushion and a handle for carrying. It’s available on Amazon for $39.95.

If you are traveling with more than two bottles or are heading to a wine country with purchasing your favorites in mind, VinGardeValise also has cases for 5, 8 and 12 bottles.

– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief, The Travel 100

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While there is an easy way to pack a hat in your suitcase, sometimes you need to carry it and may not want to walk through the airport wearing your floppy beach hat in winter.

Klipsta makes a hat clip with one end that fastens to the handle of a suitcase, car headrest, stroller or chair and the other with a strong magnet that can hold your hat in place. Klipsta hat clips come in 12 colors for $24.95.

Other Klipsta products include Bag Hooks that clip to a table to hold your handbag, and SPEX Glasses Clips for securing eyeglasses.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products or places we love or think readers will enjoy.

1. Expiration date. People have had their trips ruined because they didn’t know about the six-month rule. Many countries require your passport to have six months validity past your dates of travel. Other countries, including many in Europe, require three.

2. Damage. If your passport is torn or has water damage, especially on the personal date page, it may be declared invalid.

3. If you have enough blank pages left. Some countries require two blank pages for entry and exit stamps, while others require four blank pages for visas.

Be sure to check the requirements of every country where you plan to visit.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

Putting an Airtag in your luggage can help track your bag. But thousands of passengers have been frustrated when they lost their luggage and could tell the airlines exactly where their bag was using Share My Location and it didn’t help.

Now, several airlines have announced they will work with customers with iPhones and Airtags to find their luggage using a link generated in the Find My app.

United, Air Canada and Aer Lingus are already supporting Share My Location with close to 20 more coming on board soon. These include Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

Over the years airline seats seem to be getting smaller. What if you could get more legroom without paying for an upgrade?

A TikTok boarding hack called “Check-in Chicken” really works, but it is a gamble. You have to wait until the last minute to check in, when only the best seats are available, forcing the airline’s hand.

According to Travel Republic experts, “Many airlines release the final seating chart as boarding time approaches. Using the airline’s app or website, you can often see which seats are still available and closer to an empty row.” Just don’t wait too long.

– Vikki Locke, C2 Communications, The SWFL 100

Your flight got cancelled and you want your money back. It used to be every airline had a different standard for what kinds of flights warranted a refund and passengers had to jump through several hoops to get refunded.

Thanks to the DOT, those days are over. Passengers will receive automatic refunds within seven business days under several circumstances.

Plus, you will be refunded if your luggage doesn’t show up and is not delivered within 12 hours for a domestic flight or 15-30 for international and if you paid for Wi-Fi, a seat selection or inflight entertainment you didn’t receive.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

There’s a lot to love about the collection of totes, wallets, backpacks, crossbody bags and accessories from Arden Cove. The company was founded by Karin and Carmin Yuen, two sisters in San Francisco.

Made of vegan leather, the items in the collection are water-resistant, slash-resistant and come with loads of interior pockets to keep your smaller items accessible and organized. Other anti-theft features include RFID-blocking and locking clasps.

The best thing, however, is how pretty they are. Available in a variety of styles and colors, the bags are ones you’ll use every day, not just when you’re on the road.

– Staff report, The Travel 100

I know there’s a way to take public transportation from LaGuardia Airport to Manhattan, but I’ve never wanted to figure it out and deal with my luggage on subways and buses.

Now I’ll be able to save money on that portion of my next trip to New York City. Uber now has a shuttle from LaGuardia to three locations: Port Authority Terminal, Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.

You can book the shuttle up to seven days in advance, or even as late as five minutes before departure. One personal item and a suitcase up to 50 pounds is allowed.

– Jan Schroder, The Travel 100