Have you ever had one of those days while traveling where you want to pinch yourself, wondering, “How am I lucky enough to have this experience?” It’s cliché but true — travel is transformative. I had one of those days on a recent trip to Italy. I was staying at Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa, spending a few days exploring the nearby towns of Lucca and Barga. On a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning, my travel companions and I made our way into Barga with the hotel executive chef and pastry chef to enjoy a brief tour and to visit the markets, where we purchased beautiful, fresh ingredients to prepare our lunch. Back at the resort, we joined them in the kitchen, learning how to make fresh pasta, spinach ravioli, tiramisu, eggplant Parmesan and fried zucchini blossoms. That was all followed by the best part — enjoying the food, paired with local wines, while savoring an incredible view. Experiences like this are available to all travelers to the resort, with similar programs at hotels around the world. It’s these moments — these joys of experiential travel — that stick with us and keep us boarding flights and booking hotel stays. Susan Finch also takes us to Tuscany in this issue, with a look at traveling with friends and family in Florence, on page 66. Additionally, we’ll get a taste of Buenos Aires, Munich, Boston, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Phnom Penh, Tahiti and Zürich/Bernese Oberland. Let’s not forget, we’re in the midst of voting season! Turn to page 36 for a look at those travel providers looking to earn milestone status in the 2016 GT Tested Reader Survey awards. If you haven’t voted yet, now’s the time. And that’s just the beginning; there’s plenty more on the following pages to inspire your wanderlust. Next month we focus on aviation, with an update on airline fleets and the TSA’s Trusted Traveler program. Until then, enjoy your pinch-yourself moments!