Travel Dispatch: An Adventurer’s Paradise in the Arctic ~ ⛾:Kaffibolla

April 12, 2025

A narrow urban street is lined with older stucco buildings, most of them under six stories. Cars are parked along the street, and there is a small produce cart on one side. A man on a motorbike is in the center of the photo.

Casablanca's Mers Sultan neighborhood. Yassine Alaoui Ismaili for The New York Times

Dear Travel Fan,

There was a time when navigating a city required a paper map, and dinner and hotel reservations took more than clicks in an app. To rediscover the serendipity that could result, the writer Lisa Abend recently visited Casablanca, Morocco, having done no research or booking and without her phone in hand. This week, she tells us how it turned out.

We also explore the adventurer's playground of Lofoten, Norway, where you can sail, ski, hike, rock climb and more. Lofoten was one of our 52 Places this year, and it's easy to see why. And our 36 Hours column visits the Hudson Valley, a short trip from New York City, with great hiking, rich history and charming small towns.

Understanding how to navigate flying can be complicated, so we're here to help. We've got what you need to know about the upcoming Real ID deadline (it's May 7) and an explanation of your rights if you're stuck in a long tarmac delay. We also take a look at how the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may affect travel.

The group known as Meow Wolf creates immersive environments that are a mix of art, commerce and surrealism. They've got 5 installations around the United States (with more to come) and we've got a guide to what you can expect.

In Paris, chic residents often consign their gently used clothing to the stores known as dépôt-ventes, where travelers in search of luxury for less can go treasure hunting. We've rounded up some of the best.

And, finally, a number of major tourist destinations are in earthquake zones, including Bangkok, which was recently hit by a 7.7 magnitude quake that has killed many people in neighboring Myanmar. How can you protect yourself if there is a quake? We've got answers.

Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Amy Virshup

OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

Taken from a high vantage point, the photograph shows islands in the distance and a town surrounding a harbor.

Jonathan Schwartz

Lofoten, Norway, Is an Adventurer's Paradise in the Arctic

This remote archipelago is a dreamy base for adventure, with backcountry ski slopes reached by boat, hiking trails that offer views for miles and deep fjords to sail.

By Caroline Van Hemert

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

36 Hours

36 Hours in the Hudson Valley, N.Y.

Within two hours of New York City, the Hudson Valley is the perfect escape: locavore restaurants to fit every taste and budget, cider breweries, farmstands, hiking trails and art galleries.

By Ingrid K. Williams

A spacious open-air area of pale stone, flooded with natural light, is surrounded by towering walls with geometric designs and monumental arched doorways above a broad flight of stairs. A young woman runs down the steps.

No Phone, No Guidebook: Casablanca, Unplugged

On her first visit to Morocco's largest city, a visitor swears off her phone, the internet and even printed guides. Her aim? To get lost, learn as she goes, and reclaim the serendipity of travel.

By Lisa Abend and Yassine Alaoui Ismaili

A man and a woman walk by a storefront painted turquoise that has clothing inside. Over the front it has the words Troc en Stock.

Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

In Paris, 5 Stores to Find Chanel, Dior and More at a Markdown

At the shops known as dépôt-ventes, Frenchwomen of exacting taste consign their castoffs, and savvy shoppers can get luxury for a lot less.

By Amy Tara Koch

A giant, red robot-looking character stands in a plaza amid green and yellow picnic tables.

Atlas Media

Take a Weird Walk Through Meow Wolf's Expanding Universe

Millions are flocking to the art collective's five immersive exhibitions to duck through secret doors and explore new worlds. Coming soon: Los Angeles and New York.

By Ruffin Prevost

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TRAVEL

An airport security checkpoint with a sign at the end of a rope line that reads,

Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG, via Getty Images

Flying Somewhere? You May Finally Need That Real ID.

After years of postponements, the deadline to show a security-enhanced Real ID at airport security checkpoints is now just weeks away. What to know.

By Christine Chung and Debra Kamin

Erin Schaff/The New York Times

On-Again, Off-Again Tariffs and Their Toll on Travelers

The travel industry doesn't know what to expect from whipsawing U.S. policies. But concerns are hitting the bottom line, which could mean higher prices, and more confusion, for tourists.

By Elaine Glusac

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Stuck for Hours on a Parked Plane? Here Are Your Rights.

Long tarmac delays are on the rise at U.S. airports. What airlines owe inconvenienced passengers depends on the length of the holdup and what country they're in.

By Christine Chung

An illustration of three people in a high-rise hotel room during an earthquake. A vase, a table and a rolling suitcase are all shaking in the background, and a woman and a child are covering their heads with their hands.

Weston Wei

travel 101

How to Protect Yourself in an Earthquake

Many popular vacation destinations, like California, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and the Caribbean are in active quake zones. Here are tips for staying safe.

By Maya Wei-Haas

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