jtrent238 test blog: Travel Dispatch: Walking Zambia and Skiing Sun Valley

February 4, 2023

Puku in North Luangwa park, Zambia. The medium-size antelope are generally found in wet grasslands.Gabe Cohn/The New York Times

Dear Travel Fan,

Several weeks ago, we wrote about overcrowding in the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya, with safari trucks jockeying for position around a pair of cheetahs who'd made a kill. This week's safari experience is very different: a walking trip in Zambia that lets participants get a slow and sensuous experience of the African landscape.

On the East Coast, this has been a relatively warm and snowless winter, but the forecast is for an Arctic blast this weekend. We've got a roundup of cozy hotels that would make perfect refuges from the cold. Or, if you prefer to be out and about, we've got farmers' markets that stay busy even in the cold months. And if you're looking for a classic ski vacation, Sun Valley, Idaho, should be on your list.

China has relaxed its regulations on travel, but its citizens have not yet embraced international travel. We look at what's going on. Some violent incidents in Mexico have travelers wondering about safety, so we explain what to know if you go. And, finally, our 36 Hours column visits the vibrant city of Bangkok.

Wishing you safe and happy journeys,

Amy Virshup

OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

Kim Raff for The New York Times

You Don't Go to Sun Valley to Party

The Idaho ski resort is a favorite of the rich and famous, but still maintains a down-home feel, with casual restaurants and little pampering.

By Amy Tara Koch

36 HOURS

36 Hours in Bangkok

A secret garden, a bicycle ride across city and paddy farms, and a world-class cocktail scene in Thailand's capital.

By Finn-Olaf Jones

Gabe Cohn/The New York Times

On Safari, on Foot

On a walking safari in Zambia, a writer traded animal locator apps and spine-jostling game drives for a slow and sensuous experience in which the lore and nuances of the landscape came to the fore.

By Patricia Leigh Brown

5 Cozy Hotels Where Winter Is a Treat

From a luxurious cabin in the Catskills to a Victorian-era inn in the Scottish Highlands, here are a few places where you can curl up and watch the snow fall.

By Stephanie Rosenbloom

Continue reading the main story

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TRAVEL

Reading Terminal Market

It's Winter. Let's Go to the Farmers' Market!

In cities like Detroit and Philadelphia, markets have become year-round destinations, offering classes, crafts and music, as well as a surprising array of fresh produce.

By Colleen Creamer

Paola Chiomante/Reuters

Is It Safe to Travel to Mexico? Here's What You Need to Know.

A spate of incidents, including protests among taxi drivers in Cancún and a stray bullet at an airport in Culiacán, has tourists asking the question.

By Elisabeth Malkin

Rungroj Yongrit/EPA, via Shutterstock

Chinese Travel Is Set to Return. The Question Is, When?

The country has dropped restrictions on overseas journeys for its citizens, but once-popular destinations are still waiting for the flood of vacationers to arrive.

By Ceylan Yeginsu and Patrick Scott

Feedback, thoughts, tips? Email the Travel desk at travel@nytimes.com.