At JG Black Book, we get the intimidation factor of navigating a brand new city without the comforting voice of a local friend, a tour leader, or your loyal GPS. In the past couple of years, however, we've been turning to City Walks as our trusty travel guides and navigation saviors. With these brilliant deck of cards- each deck of 50 representing a city around the world- we've been led to the cutest cantinas, the most glorious gardens, and the chicest of shops. Each card outlines a self-guided walking adventure, with a detailed map on the front and information on the back filled with insider tips. And the best part: you go at your pace, whenever you'd like, however you'd like!

City Walks-Paris with Kids

Continue reading "Travel Necessities: City Walks" »

Everyone has a different coping mechanism for stress, but today, in honor of Stress Awareness Month (yes, this exists), we're mapping out a path to relaxation ecstacy à la JG Black Book. While we support journal-keeping, exercise, and mindful meditation as anxiety reducing mechanisms, our favorite form of detox includes warm oil-covered fingers kneading our shoulder blades and a pair of fresh cucumber slices. Whether by Carribean waters or in a European city center, the five following worldwide spas are our go-to destinations to think less, undress, and de-stress:

Conservatorium Hotel - Amsterdam, Netherlands

Continue reading "Travel Necessities: Our Top 5 Rejuvenating Retreats" »

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

To start off 2013, JG Black Book intern Paloma Aelyon spent three weeks peeling away the thick layers of a country that perfectly embodies the paradox in the first lines of Dickens' 19th century novel. Coining it Hummus Heaven after her love affair with the culture's cuisine, Paloma shares why the beautiful and the ugly, the celebration and the mourning, the modern and the ancient all together make Israel one of the most gloriously fascinating places on earth:

The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in the background.

Continue reading "A Tale of Two Cities: Israel Part I" »

An awesome travel blog can yield some of the most inspiring content online. If you're like us at JG Black Book, you want in on the action. What's the funkiest undiscovered South East Asian city, the most unusual European dining experience, or the ultimate South American beach getaway? For those of us non-nomads, the following bloggers provide a beautiful glimpse into the world of expert adventure, motivating us to gear up for our next vibrant voyage. Check out five of our favorite travel blogs here and follow them for your daily around-the-world digest:

Continue reading "Travel Necessities: Top Travel Blogs Roundup" »

At JG Black Book, we believe that the next best thing to traveling is participating in a forum that allows us to share our adventures with others. In addition to mantaining the amazing high that follows us back from a trip to Uruguay's southern coast or Italy's capital of couture,  engaging in the world of online blogging opens doors to the most authentic up-to-date travel tips and ideas. That being said, choosing which of the gazillion travel blogs to follow can be dangerously dizzying, so we've come up with five of our favorites to quench your thirst for global getaways:

Continue reading "Travel Necessities: Top 5 Travel Blogs to Follow" »

Today, JG Black Book partner DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co., formerly known as DuVine Adventures, has officially launched a new website (total eye candy!) and overall brand which features a more luxurious, personalized, out-of-this-world travel experience. With the goal of showing travelers amazing destinations in their authentically pure form, DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. leads each of their tours in intimate bicycle packs, from which the fresh air can be felt, the aromas of local markets can be inhaled, and the sounds of native banter can be heard.

Continue reading "DuVine Adventures Reborn: An Insider's Look at DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.'s New Offerings" »

Ellerman House in Cape Town, South Africa

Continue reading "Photo Friday: Flickering Fireplaces" »

JG Black Book of Travel and the Black Book Collection are welcoming another sweet suite September this Photo Friday on the Black Blog of Travel!  Enjoy!

Baglioni Hotel London in London, UK

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The results are in!  Beds have been tested, food has been tasted, experiences have been had and your votes have been tallied.  JG Black Book of Travel is proud to showcase all the members of the Black Book Collection by JG that made it into the rankings of Travel + Leisure's 2012 World's Best Awards!  And a special congratulations to Singita Grumeti, Triple Creek Ranch, Singita Kruger National Park and Singita Sabi Sand for making it into the Top 10 hotels in the world! And to Micato Safaris for their ninth time winning #1 World’s Best Safari Operator!

#1 Best Hotel in the World
#1 Top Lodge & Resorts in Africa & Middle East

Overall Score: 98.25
Singita Grumeti - Sasakwa Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp & Faru Faru Lodge in Serengeti, Tanzania

Singita Grumeti Reserves - Sasakwa Lodge

Continue reading "Travel + Leisure's 2012 World's Best Awards" »

This Sunday, April 22nd, is Earth Day 2012. Earth Day is a day for awareness and a day for education. It's a chance to show how important the environment is to us. It's a day for action...and JG Black Book of Travel is always ready for action (and you should be too)!

Continue reading "Earth Day 2012: Mobilize the Earth" »